My Stained Glass Projects

remembering the flood of 2010

The rains came to Middle Tennessee the last 3 weeks of April 2010 and stayed.   The ground was saturated and the creeks and rivers were already high when a major storm system parked itself over us and refused to budge.  Now, we are used to spring flooding on Dog Creek and expect that at least once a year we will be flooded in as the Harpeth River backs up Dog Creek covering our one way out.  Before, the water had always gone down within a day or two at the most.   So, when the river started flooding that Saturday morning, we were disappointed to miss Oliver's birthday party, but settled in to enjoy a quiet weekend of games and family time.  The electricity had gone out Friday and we had thankfully filled water bottles and tubs with clean water just in case our water supply became contaminated or cut off.  

I took pictures of tiny, smiling Alyssa by the rising water which was normally a flatbed creek with no more than a few inches of water in it, sitting 12 feet below our house.   Then by Saturday night, the creek looked like the Mississippi River - brown and wide.   Shockingly, the water had come up to within inches of our bottom floor, flooding the crawl space, tearing out the hvac ductwork.    We piled some things on the dining table, some upstairs and Ron put a rolled up towel by each door.  I slept downstairs on the couch so I would know if the water came in the house.   Our neighbor, Joey, came over and helped me move our cars to higher ground in their cow pasture.

The next morning, we awoke to find that the water had gone down at least 10 feet and it continued to drop.  I felt such relief - then decided around noon that I should go out and take pictures as I felt that we would surely never see the water so high again.   Ron went to take a nap.  Alyssa and her Aunt Mimi were playing a game.   I went out in the drizzle to document it all.   I was reframing a shot when my brain registered that the water level had come up at least a foot in our valley in the few seconds I had taken between shots - where the water had been a foot below our decking, it was now even.

I ran into the house screaming for everyone to get whatever was dear to them upstairs as the water was rising quickly.   The adrenaline was shocking.   Alyssa's bedroom was downstairs and she and Mimi started there.   Ron and I were gathering artwork, computers, cameras and other valuables from the living room.   Minutes later I heard Alyssa screaming from her room.  Then I saw it too.   Nasty, brown, stinking flood water was rising up through every hvac vent in our floor.    Mimi took Alyssa upstairs to comfort her while Ron and I gathered things as quickly as we could and got them upstairs; some clothes for Alyssa, jugs of water, food, pet food, cats, the dog, artwork, picture albums, computers, cell phones, important papers...  

The water was up to my thighs within 15 minutes and we realized that staying in the house might not be a good idea.  What if the house came off the foundation?   What if the water got up to the second floor?   Alyssa was only 6 - we might be ok swimming out, but she would not.    So I carried her down and out on my hip through the unbelievably vile smelling water and over to our neighbor Miss Patsy's house.   Aunt Mimi followed with some extra clothing, food and water and stayed with Alyssa.   Alyssa had calmed down although I am sure she was still very frightened and probably in shock. 

Ron and I continued to get as much as we could moved upstairs as the water continued to rise.   Once Alyssa was out of earshot, I could not stop what I can only describe as wailing combined with retching.    When the tub came up from the pressure of the water underneath, it sounded like a gunshot at close range.   I stopped on my way down one trip and took a few pictures of the couches floating,   The piano and the grandfather clock floated for a few minutes, then sank.   It was surreal. 

 The water was up to my armpits on last trip we made upstairs.   We left the cats upstairs as they were hiding by then and I knew they could climb on the book cases, but I could not leave our dog, Hannah.  Ron lovingly carried her out as the she paddled her heart out, flinging the nasty water in his face.    I was forced to swim as we stepped off our deck heading for higher ground.

In all, not more than 30-40 minutes elapsed between the reframing of the photo and swimming out.  Adrenaline was coursing through our bodies.

We got out to discover that all of our neighbor's houses  had also flooded.   Thankfully our cars were high and dry up in the cow pasture so we at least had a dry place to go.   The rain was still coming down and it was getting chilly.   I took many more pictures as we watched the water rise.  It looked like the water was at least up to the second floor.   We called family and friends using my cell phone to let them know that we were safe, settled in, had whatever snacks were in the van and desperately hoped I had paid the flood insurance.

The night was long - Ron snored, the dog snored, Mimi belched constantly as she is known to do and no one was very comfortable.   But we were safe.

The next morning, we awoke to find that the water had gone down enough for us to enter the house again to survey the damage.   It was heartbreaking.     The water had gotten within inches of the second floor so the kitties and everything we had taken upstairs was untouched.   Everything downstairs was ruined.  Mud covered everything.

We gathered with the neighbors to see what food we had between us.  We had cans of soup that were safe to eat.   Our neighbor's deep freeze had stayed sealed and the steaks still were still frozen.   Ron found a propane turkey frier and a bottle of propane to cook and a bag of potatoes was found.   We gathered to feast and commiserate.

Roads for miles around were still under a lot of water and it seemed there would be no quick rescue.  Someone came up in a canoe to see if we needed water or anything, but we never saw them again once we told them we were ok.

Our oldest daughter, Rae was calling anyone she knew to try and find us a way out.   By chance, she found an old friend who had been visiting nearby and was staying with someone who knew us and knew how to get to us by four wheeler over the dirt trails in the 500 acre wildlife preserve nearby.

4 young men rode in on ATVs like knights in shining armor on horseback.   I remember how fresh and clean  the shirt of the young man smelled as I put by arms around him and lay my head against  his back.   The hug I got from son in law Charles as he met us at the end of the trail was wonderful.

Rae and Charles welcomed us into their home for the next 6 weeks as we began to put our lives back together.   Friends, family and total strangers gave of their time, helping clear and clean.   They also gave us money and brought meals so we could focus on the task at hand.

Alyssa broke my heart when she cried and asked if we would ever have a home again.   She was still only six and it was still very real and scary to her.

We lost most everything in  our home, which had to be gutted down to the studs.  We also suffered losses to 10 of our rentals houses - hvac systems, water heaters, drywall damage, etc...    We had been hanging on by a thread from the recession of 2008 and this pushed us into a bankruptcy in order to save our business.

We couldn't begin to rebuild our house until we had an agreed plan so six weeks later, we moved into a little one bedroom, one bath cottage that we owned.   Once we were settled, it became easier to get back to our new normal.   We discovered that it was nice to have more than one bedroom and bathroom, but we didn't have to have more.   We made do with a lot less stuff and it was fine.   We were fine.   We had 3 great years in that little house while we waited to rebuild.

This experience drove home what is really important in our lives; our health, family, and friends.  Stuff is just stuff. 

You Have the Power

My daughter started a new blog yesterday as a way to practice her writing and typing.    She is inspiring me with her quotes.   We had a very rough day yesterday. Prepubescence and menopause are not a good mix, particularly when one home schools.   Looking through my pictures during my middle of the night sleepless time,  I was reminded of all the wonderful times, smiles, adventures, fun that she and I have shared.    My goal is to get us back to having more good times than bad and this is my inspiration for the day.

The thing about life is, you never know when it's going to be a party!

This is one of my favorite lines from The Homecoming.      We had a very unexpected snowstorm yesterday and dear friend Holly could not drive home so she and three of her children came home with us to stay the night.    We put on a big pot of soup, cut up some fruit, made cookies & popcorn, watched movies, made crafts, played cards, hide & seek and just enjoyed having a house full of friends.    The kids piled up in the living room on couches and pallets to sleep.   Holly managed to survive in a house full of cats by taking a couple of Zyrtec.    Alyssa and Ari made us some muffins this morning and the kids had some more fun in the snow.    We were all a bit sad to see the roads clear and our friends head home this afternoon.  

It's the small things

I was sad a few nights ago, upon discovering that quite a few of the Christmas ornaments that I had collected during my travels did not survive the flood.   After so many years of unwrapping them, I could list what was missing easily.   My mother had not put up a tree in several years and so she sent her Christmas ornaments to us today and I just opened the boxes.   Inside were not only glass balls that are older than I, but exact copies of most if not all of the ornaments I lost.   I had forgotten that while traveling,  I always bought two ornaments, one for me and one for momma and daddy.     What a sweet surprise!  I can't wait to call her tomorrow.

6 months later

6 months after the flood of 2010 and neighbors all around are rebuilding.   Although I am happy for them and know their journey is still not easy, I find myself envious. 

Emotionally, life is hard right now.   Much harder than at first.   It was easier to remain strong and optimistic in first weeks post flood.  Now I am simply exhausted.   I cannot seem to bring myself to go over to that house and take care of things I should. 

Putting up the Christmas tree was sad for me last night.   So many ornaments from my childhood, my mother and all my travels are gone.   Some were older than me.   Alyssa's stocking, the angel for the top of the tree, the advent calendar...   I KNOW they are just things.  It is still sad.

I just want this nightmare to be over, the bankruptcy, the uncertainty, the loneliness...

Alyssa moments

Little moments.

How she was crying just after she was born, then stopped when I held her close and sang, "You Are My Sunshine".     Ahhhhhhh, something familiar!

The helpless feeling of not being able to hold her and seeing her in the NICU with tubes and lines for those first few hours.    The relief when she was strong enough to come out of the incubator.   My heart hurt for the parents who were not so lucky.

Wondering if we would ever get the hang of nursing....  We did and did....  She nursed til just after her 5th birthday.   We still talk about it now and again and she remembers :-)

 Watching her take her first steps when she was only 7 months and 2 weeks old.   Delighting in the dance that soon followed.

She would not even taste her first birthday cake!    No messy pics for posterity.

The first time she initiated peek a boo by putting her head down on my shoulder.   Later, the first time she played hide and seek with Papa and me at Lakeside.   She hid behind the curtains.

First sentence:  "Mama go up, down."

Halloween costumes:
Baby Clown
1 yr old Lady Bug
2 yr old Witch
3 yr old Peter Pan (with Ari as Tinkerbell)
4 yr old Dorothy ( Rae as Wicked Witch, Charles as Lion, Dad as Scarecrow and Mom as Tin Man)
5 yr old Tie Dye Butterfly Fairy (she designed this one and we dyed it ourselves)
6 yr old Velma from Scooby Doo (and her Velma twin Ari)
7 yr old
8 yr old
9 yr old
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Birthday Themes
1 - Bunny Cake by the pool at Rolling Hills
2 - Elmo Cake, pool party at Rolling Hills Cathy Rigsby as Peter Pan at TPAC that night from Papa
3 - Dora Cake and Dora her self at Dog Creek!  Mom as grumpy old troll on the bridge.
4 - Tinkerbell Cake at Dog Creek
5 - Scooby Doo Cake and Scooby him self helping solve the mystery of the missing gifts at Dog Creek
6 - Giant cupcake cake decorated by Alyssa & Ari, little cupcakes for guests to decorate @ splashpad
7 - Crazy awesome cake by Radmila and Harry Potter birthday at the splashpad.
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Going to Disney World at 5 years old, when Papa and Connie got married.    What fun!

Dancing, dancing dancing.   She's a dancin' machine!

At 2 years old Alyssa had her own one girl version of "Wicked".

At 5 Alyssa made her stage debut in Oliver! as an orphan.   Followed by roles as an Oompa Loompa in Willy Wonka,  Downy in Honk Jr and chorus in Oklahoma and Miracle on 34th Street.

At 7 she adores listening to all kinds of musical theater, dancing, taking karate and gymnastics.

Alyssa was invited to a birthday party when she was 6, where the birthday girl asked for donations to Heiffer International instead of gifts.   Alyssa gave everything in her piggy bank, which included her Christmas money $103.

Visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was big stuff this year (2010).   Alyssa was brave enough to get on a lot of rides, but also kept her eyes closed for quite a few.