I Need Some Relief, and Soon!

I'm glad to report that GS#3 finished his Biology barely in time to take the Final Exam at the school last Thursday, which he passed, leaving him with a semester average of 87.  I'm very proud of him getting both the English and Biology credits in a short six weeks, though it seemed to be unending!  He got to go home to my son's for the first time since June 12, but he agrees the time was well spent, and he thanked me over and over.  So it was worth it, even though we both missed so much this summer.  I need to tell you that more than half of what we studied has been discovered since I graduated high school, and it didn't come easy for me!  I could never have passed a Final on it, but he did!

Probably the most important thing we both learned is that we have an awesome God!  Anything that can put genes, (or was that proteins?  Whatever!  I told you I couldn't pass a test!  For sure, it's all minute stuff!) and other compounds together into what looks like a ladder, then twist it and fold it down in a specific order and cram it into a cell membrane, over and over again with our many cells, has got to be only an awesome God! 

One Friday night his mother stopped by after work, and he asked if he could go home with her for the night.  At that point, I didn't think we would make the deadline anyway, so I agreed to let him go, with the understanding that I would pick him up at 1 PM the next day so we could start studying again.  There was a quilt show nearby the next day, and I really didn't want to miss it, but would have had he wanted to stay here and work.  I think the few hours off helped both of us to endure to the end.  I took several pictures at the quilt show, but haven't had time to load them to the computer yet.  Maybe I can do that next week, and I'll share them.

My cancer-ridden cousin died that week in a city about 200 miles away, and I had to miss the memorial service, as did some other relatives and friends from my area.  So I will be hosting a mini-memorial service in my home next Saturday; I'm not sure how many will be here.  So I'll be preparing for that this coming week.

Last Friday night at midnight, the huge, beautiful Live Oak tree in my neighbor's yard decided to split apart, and it fell on my roof, cutting the electric and phone lines to both our houses.  The power company came and cut all the tree off my patio roof  and strung new wire from the transformer to my service drop.  I was without power from midnight to 6:30 AM Saturday in this awful heat, but I survived, and my house didn't have as much damage as I had expected. I'll have my roofer check it tomorrow.   I could hardly believe those power company guys worked in the dark, with spot lights and flashlites on their hard hats!  I hired a man Saturday to haul off all the debris, which packed a 16' trailer!  I didn't want to leave it on my grass too long.  It was a terrible mess, and after not sleeping a wink all of Friday night, I was bone tired when we got it all out of here! 

After a shower, I crashed in the bed for 7 hours; got up and ate some cinnamon toast, and went back to bed until Sunday morning.  I've never been so tired in all my life, and still haven't fully recovered from the exhaustion.  What I hate most about the entire event is the fact that I now have to look at a really sad looking tree from my patio, which will have very little shade as the sun goes down in the west!  I'm really grieving for that tree!

This is the view I had from my patio prior to July 29, with a dusting of snow in 2010, before the three center trunks decided to split off.  When planted, it was several small trees planted in the same hole.  They grew together pretty much, but I guess the weight of all the growth was just too much; it was huge!  They have an underground sprinkler that they use a lot, so it wasn't because of drought, and there was no wind that night either. 

This is what I see now, plus lots of hot afternoon sun:  Sad, sad!

 In addition to all that, I was asked to play the piano for two morning worship services and the evening service yesterday, which I did, in the absence of the regular pianist.  I'm sleeping in the next couple of days!   Then I've got to start cleaning the house to be ready for next Saturday's memorial service.  (No rest for the weary, as my mother used to say.)

The weatherman said this morning we have had 30 straight days of over 100 degrees, with at least 7 more to come, and probably more, with 107 expected for today and Tuesday!  This alone is enough to wear me out!

I haven't gotten to sew a bit since my last blog!  The church quilters brought the quilt to me to do the binding, but I haven't cut it yet.  I'll try to get that sewed on this week so I can be doing the handwork at night. 

I know tears must be rolling down your faces by now, and you are wondering why I thought you needed to know all this!  (LOL!).  I'm just glad I had no severe house damage, and that no one got hurt!  And I will survive it all!  I don't give up easily!

I have kept up with reading all your blogs, but as you can imagine, I haven't had time to reply to all of them the last few days.  Just know that I enjoyed them; lots of good stuff there!  I'll try to do better soon.  Even my brain is tired right now!

Hope everyone has a good week!  I'm ready for one!  Maybe the week after this one???  I hope!

---"Love"