This summer has been full of surprises: some good, some more in the epic, memorable column. On the good side, we finally left apartment living and moved into a house. The quiet and extra space has been worth all the trouble of a short-notice move. Atticus, who is now over fifty pounds and growing especially loves the new space. It took a little adjustment with suburban living and dealing with an HOA for the first time, but the beautiful neighborhood is a welcome change.
I can now say I’ve been through a hurricane, and I’m definitely not a fan. My first experience, and it turned out to be one of the worst in history. It brought many people together, and I was heartened to see so many volunteer to help. It’s moments like this that really make you reevaluate what’s important in life and which items to grab in an evacuation.
Not knowing what to expect, I stocked up on food, water, and batteries. Last on the list was hunting for sandbags. Not being a coastal native, I looked online and found a few bags left. Rushing to the store, I was disappointed to find they literally meant sandbags, as in without the sand. Feeling embarrassed and frustrated, I set off for the next place advertising sandbags and finally found them.
With enough bags to far exceed the weight limit on my car, I headed home, praying it wouldn’t break. Thankfully I made it, and we started stacking them at the door. The preparations done, we settled in for the hurricane. Also in the mix was a small dog we had rescued on the highway days before. Atticus was torn between wanting to play and jealousy, making for a lot of commotion. We rode out the storm with no damage and, once things settled down, climbed in the truck to help others. Never underestimate the importance of having a friend with a truck. We made a few stops and brought some guests in need home. I am eternally grateful that we were in a position to help during such a difficult time. After a few days, we found a good home for the stray dog, and things started returning to normal. There’s still extensive flooding and damage, but I know with so many arriving to help, the salvage work will be much faster.
On a happier note, we semi-haphazardly carved pumpkins. It was a lot of trial and error, but everyone is very proud of how they turned out. I’ll definitely try it again next October.
As for the wedding planning, our venue is unfortunately under water, so everything has been put on hold for now. In the meantime, I’m scrolling through Pinterest for ideas since there’s an unlimited feed to get easily distracted with.
Lastly, I’m working on the first draft of my new book, which will be released on kindle Vella. More updates to come on that later.
I hope everyone had a great summer and happy holidays!
