Changes in the wind

It has been an eventful few days. Some of it good, some of it horrible. My head is a bit discombobulated by it all and I can't seem to put a flowing, coherent blog post together. So to borrow a technique from Sheepish Annie, I think I'll just let bullet points do the organizing for me.

• In an effort to come up with a little cash to pay for gas and/or a few
  payments toward a new car (my van is on its last legs wheels), I applied for a part-time job at a local ice cream shop. It's taken a few weeks but I finally had an interview yesterday and I'm fairly certain that I may have the job. I find out today.
  
  
• Because I'm struggling with this whole "no knitting" aspect of having broken my finger, I have been prowling around the ol' craft room trying to find something new and exciting that wouldn't put any stress on the left hand. I ended up pulling out this booklet and some fabric from my stash and starting a rug for the front entry. It fits the bill as a "do no harm" project for the stupid left hand. We'll have to wait and see if I like the finished project enough to actually use it in the entryway.
  
  
• I spent a few panicky hours last night trying to get in touch with my mom. You see, her home is on the fringe of the 500 year flood area of Cedar Rapids and the news about the flooding has been so dire that I was very much afraid for her and my sister. Unfortunately, when I did get through, I learned that they had been evacuated and their homes are under water right now. It is such a shock, since they came through the '93 floods with very little damage (a little water in the basement). But this flood has exceeded any in recorded history and their homes are anticipated to be complete losses.
  
  
• As a result, I fully expect to make a trip or two down to Iowa in the next few weeks to help with the aftermath of this tragedy. Starting a new job and having kids in so many activities is going to make it extremely problematic but it will just have to be done.
  
  
• I'm a little concerned about the broken finger hindering my ability to be as much help as I normally would be able to. Stupid finger.
  
  
• There has been some question about how I managed to break the stupid finger. Well, it's not terribly interesting. On the one hot day we had on vacation, I decided to swim with Peeps. We were just stepping into the pool on the stairs and I slipped. I'm not even sure what I jammed my hand into because when I slipped, I knocked little Peeps down and my first concern was pulling her up and out of the pool to make sure she was okay. Only after setting her back on her feet and apologizing profusely for knocking her down, and watching her paddle away, did I realize how badly I'd hurt my hand. While the finger looked straight and it didn't seem to be broken, the immediate swelling and bruising made it clear that this was going to take some time to get over. Little did I know that it really was broken.
  
  
• I've never had a broken bone before. It didn't hurt as much as I thought a broken bone would hurt, so I wasn't really too concerned. Until Mrs. Doctor's Wife gave me a little gentle rebuke, that is.
  
  
• I guess I can't brag about not having ever broken a bone any more.
  
  

Well, that's a sample of the craziness of my life this week. Who knows what the rest of the month will look like. For now, I'll just spend some extra time in prayer for my family in Iowa and everyone else who has been impacted by this tragic flood.



In the meantime, here are some volunteer Johnny Jump Ups that appeared in my garden. Even in the midst of uncertain times, there is beauty to comfort us.