thanks a lot irene

I grew up with my cousins. We spent every birthday, holiday, and summer camp together. And every Fall all nine of us were given rakes and let loose on Meema and Grandpa’s yard. There were sing alongs and leaf pile jumping, and inevitably a kick-ball game. 

I was thinking about time spent raking Meema’s yard on Sunday. Instead of rural Connecticut, I was in Lincoln Park, New Jersey. Rake in hand, I was cleaning up the final bits of the prickly pear tree that used to oversee my in-laws yard. Hurricane Irene was mean and overwhelming to lots of people, including our families. Jake had sweat-soaked through every bit of clothing after spending 3 hours climbing and cutting down the fallen tree. My body was achey from pulling limb after limb to the yard’s edge. Raking and finishing the job was satisfying though. No matter what the inside of the house looked like, we could accomplish the yard.

current state of the kitchen and living room

It was a good and exhausting weekend. Saturday I got a blister on my right thumb from using the drill for a few hours. I feel successful when I’ve got some battle wounds (yes, I just called a blister a wound, I’m a sarcastic soul). We bleached and lugged and wet-vac-ed galore. Sunday we met for breakfast, shared wedding photos, and then went back to work. Bleaching the innards of the walls and the basement, coming up for a breath of fresh air, and heading back into the flood-musk and bleach fumes. Jake went to town on the fallen prickly pear tree, and I joined a couple from church in pulling the limbs away. Out of the woodwork appeared a group from a Mormon church, clad in yellow “Mormon Helping Hands” shirts. They stayed for at least 2 hours, lugging and sawing and sweating right with us. At one point there were at least 50 yellow-shirted volunteers covering the lawn. Everyone dispersed once the tree was gone. I dug up a rake from the swampy shed and went to town on the lawn. I was caught up in humming "Thy Word" and before I knew it, yellow-shirted volunteers appeared again, asking for rakes to help. How’s that saying go? Many hands makes light work, or something like that? Its true, thats for darn sure. That yard was forgetting its flooded experience posthaste.

dad-in-law clearing out flood affected belongings and sis-in-law amanda eating a disaster relief meal from the red cross

This weekend I was thankful for kind-hearted volunteers, help from Jake’s parent’s church, and quality time with family, despite difficult circumstances. On Monday we stopped at my parent’s house en route back to the North Shore. More good family time, cute babies and delicious Linnie-made baked goods (cinnamon buns, rhubarb bread, chocolate chip banana bread, my mouth is watering). When we left Jake again said “it was good to spend time with your family...with our family.” To which I responded, “it was a good weekend with both of our families.” 

So there Irene. You can't rain on our parade.