I have always told people we don't have hurricanes in Ohio. I will be revising that statement.

We had a hurricane. In Ohio.

It was an amazing weather event. Nothing like you would expect. It was just wind. I mean, JUST wind. No rain or lightning. It was actually partly sunny. The wind just started whipping everything apart. It was unbelievable. I have been in sizeable storms (typhoon, for example) and nothing compares to a hurricane in...Ohio.

The huge tree at the old property split down the middle. The right half fell into Boyd's yard. At the new property, trees and branches fell everywhere. Not dead trees. Not small branches. HUGE trees, living ones, ripped up and thrown about. Roofs came off. For 6 hours it went on. It didn't feel like a storm. Just...a really big, long...wind. The most peculiar thing I have EVER seen. I have lived in Ohio most of my life. This is by far the weirdest weather I have ever experienced here.

The power went off Sunday afternoon and returned earlier tonight (Tuesday). It really gave us all a chance to go out and meet neighbors, help each other, have a wonderful sense of community. I met 81-year-old Pauline down the street, the lady with glass lamps, dolls, and tchachkes everywhere in her windows. She told me all about her grandkids and kids (several times- she forgot what she had already told me). I met the new couple and their little girl. Steve helped our neighbor across the street remove a huge tree from on top of his garage. Another went sprawling across the fence almost to the Micah's buddy's swimming pool a couple of yards away. Some of these trees are thick- 2 feet in diameter or so. The dead ones had no chance but the living ones were also torn apart.

There was no work Monday. Schools were all closed Monday. Most were closed today (Tuesday)- not Micah's, and he complained the whole time. About half of the kids showed up. Turns out the Wyoming high school and middle school are on the same power grid as the police and fire stations, so they get first priority. Well, second. Hospitals first, police/fire second, etc.

It was more amazing than level 4 tornadoes (which one would expect here), huge 2-foot blizzards (also precdented), big floods (been there done that)...but hurricanes? By the time we get them they are blown out and just full of extra rain. Even Katrina. This was the most peculiar hurricane ever. The front it happened into gave it some extra push. Yes, this is the same one that devastated Galveston.

The real victims, of course, are on Hispaniola. They got the alst 4 hurricanes plus more heavy rains to come. They are not in a good way and the infrastructure is weak to start with. Those folks could use lots of prayer and relief. Not saying people here couldn't- Matthew 25 has been here in Cincy distributing ice and water for free. Great people. They go where needed. They don't ask if you're rich or poor. Just whoever needs whatever, they have it. If you ever donate stuff to Matt. 25 Ministries, it goes where needed. I have volunteered a time or two helping organize stuff, clothes, I guess- I think it might have been hurricane Mitch. I don't remember even. But trust me, go to any Catholic school or church and they will be there. Same with Salvation Army. Those people walk the walk, they do instead of talk and yammer on about stuff.

Hi- sorry for not keeping up with this. There are several reasons:

1. Some of my thoughts I am writing in a private journal-something I have done since about the age of 12. I don't feel comfortable sharing those all with everyone.

2. This doesn't happen always, but sometimes people do attack or ridicule me- and I really am not strong enough all the time to withstand it. Sometimes people are buttholes but I really don't want to be inviting it, which is what I sometimes did. So I will keep up with things that everyone can know...more private issues are just going to stay that way. If I feel comfortable talking about something with someone, I will. I will email you or talk to you in person. I guess when you stick out your thumb (by having a public blog) you expect it to get shot at a few times. The blogosphere is the venue for such things and by having a public blog one does invite such comments. I will still keep up the blog but will refrain from exposing opinions which may hurt people or invite others to do the same to me.

3. Nathanael's back at Grinnell and he's in a sub-free dorm at his request. This is a completely different type of place than last year. Last year he really did live at Animal House. Stumbling over drunk people, people inviting people inviting people to smoke pot in his dorm room, people spilling food and beverages and never cleaning them, him walking in on unknown folks drunkenly doing stuff...guess it's funny for the first minute but then gets tiresome. He DID have his private area and they did have at least the wherewithall to respect that. Well now he is in a sub-free place and the kids who tend to request such a place are, well, not nearly as crass and crude and loud as those who don't. Talking in general here. But I met his roommate. What an outstanding kid this is. He's in about 349875 student organizations. Helps direct campaign for Obama, in Student Democrat organization, and leads a Bible study. OK I expect he will definitely run for office one day. They won't be able to go back to his college days and find a single negative thing. Name a politician these days who can say that. (snicker) Thought not. Whoops, thought I was gonna restrain from too many personal views. OK, just one slipped out.

4. I've been going to a Quaker church. :) That IS a long story. Sometime I will tell you more.

5. Micah's talent has been making things from metal. Today he made a metal lock cover for his motorbike. I mean he sawed and bent and polished it, drilled it...he wasn't made for metal, metal was made for him.

Hello, just to inform my fan base:

My colon is fine. The procedure was not the least bit uncomfortable. There was nothing wrong with me as far as that goes. So back to square one. Maybe endoscopy next- where is the blood coming from- they said maybe stomach. But I don't have a tumor, diverticulitis, colon cancer, etc. I will see what happens next painwise. I mean something is weird in some organ somewhere. :)

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts!!!! Love you all, and I mean that.

Yup, I know it's been a while. Not much, how 'bout you.

Lessee...besides my issues, what has been happening...well, Nathanael's enjoying life in Wisconsin, and Micah is back with Chichi and now his friend Victor is going with ex-GF Hallie. I just met Hallie today and she's a sweet girl. Brandon is back with Georgina so now everybody's happy and hope that lasts for more than a minute. LOL Oh, the dramz. I don't know what else to say right now except everyone, love one another.

Sorry I have NOT been around here much.

I'm in the process of finding out what is (medically) wrong wi'me. Will let you all know. God bless you all.

Haven't been writing much on here but that's not for lack of sufficient stuff. I have my reasons.

In regular news: we now have a zoo at this house- Weasel the ferret, Gigi the cat, Tom the cat, Fry the dog, and Jester the rabbit. Micah found Jester on the way home from school one day. Steve has taken to the rabbit and built him a cage. This is a pet-type rabbit, not one of those wild ones. Very tame. Micah tried to find the owner but no one claimed Jester. So he became Jester to us and he's very tame and soft and pretty. White and gray/brown and already potty-trained.

Micah's been making way cool projects in his metals art class. He is currently sort of fluctuating between 2 girls- Chichi and Hallie. But being honest with them, too. He told Chichi he thought he wasn't being a very good boyfriend to her because they don't see each other much. Hallie is a couple of years older than he is and seemed to like him more than he liked her and were going to have a date at Wendy's but just ended up taking a walk. But I guess the volume of interaction that takes place in relationships these days is not in person or even on the phone but just texting. Text text text....what r u dng....brb....pos....wazzup....hi babe....jst chllng....lv u....hearts....cu l8r....how m boyz...woot.... (OK, woot is sooooo 2006). Oh, and I just found out today what a lam party is. You know, dating years ago was on some levels more interesting. We had to take actual turns on video games rather than hooking up computers. We actually kissed on the couch instead of texting "xoxoxo"........but I'm not going to complain.

I am taking antibiotics because I have a strep infection but it's not the sore throat kind. I didn't know there was another kind. That's all I know for sure and that may be the source for my problems. There is pain and bloating and some other symptoms. I will have a colonoscopy but don't know when. All my bloodwork is good. So I think this is not physically serious. Thanks for the kind prayers and thoughts. Love you all.