Wednesday, April 23, 2008

How Green Are My Valleys, Hills, and Lawn

Wherever we look out-of-doors right now, we see green. Gerald says the intense green we are enjoying is partly the result of the nitrogen in the late winter’s snows and rains. As tired as we are of rain, it is pleasant to think of the benefits.

Earthquakes have been the topic of much conversation in our area lately. I felt the first one at 4:38 last Friday morning, and I learned later I had done the correct thing by staying in bed. I was too sleepy to do anything else. Although there have been several, I have not felt the after shocks since. I was in the laundry room at my daughter’s when the second shake came. She was in adjoining room and felt it. I guess I assumed it was the washer-dryer shaking the house and did not notice it.

I learned at our women’s meeting at Shirley Butler’s on Monday that some of our Coal Valley Water customers had been without water since last Friday. Shirley had seen and heard the repair work going on near her home the previous evening, so her first reaction to the quake was thinking it was the water department still working.

Unfortunately, the quake evidently made the water problems intensify in that region of our water district. (We seem to have been immune to the problems here on the west side of the district.) Workers are trying hard to get all the breakages fixed. Most people had water back on fairly quickly, but not all. Some people are going to friends and relatives to take showers.

When the water was turned on for our friend Jo, the pressure was so great that it broke the pipes beneath her house. She was blessed to have her son Scott willing and able to crawl under the house and repair the messy muddy leak there. Next door, Kim said when she ran her washer, the pressure causes huge scary noises making her hope their pipes don’t break. Scott isn’t eager to do a second repair job.

Our son-in-law was down over the weekend and early part of this week to start farming. The tiling job last fall was a real help this spring when these heavy rains came. Brian joined us for supper Friday night when our granddaughter Leslie and friend Veronica Tolbert from Freeport stopped off on their way down to Nashville, Tennessee, to visit the national college speech events being held there on Saturday. We didn’t get the return trip stop because there was a boyfriend waiting in Charleston. Ah well.

Our big weekend entertainment was listening to Texas A&M’s two home games. We did the same tonight when they played a non-conference game against Texas State. What a night freshman pitcher Rhiannon Kliesing had. After a week off the mound, she pitched her first no-hitter of the season, and despite no recent opportunities to bat, she made her first home run of the season.

It is pitch dark outside. After this game, Gerald is out there mowing that intensely green grass. It is hard to keep up with right now, and he had to be away all day.

4 comments:

Misti Sandefur, Christian author/freelance writer said...

Sue,

Greetings! I'm from the Harrisburg area, and I've been reading your blog for about a month now. With that said, I thought I'd leave a comment this time around. My comment is in regards to the Earthquake and aftershocks.

I felt the Earthquake Friday morning as well. I was still up writing for clients when I heard what sounded like an explosion of in a distance. I pushed away from my desk and held to it tightly. I could hear the Earthquake, and the house, which is a half underground basement home, felt like it was rocking. I thought it had to be an Earthquake and was getting ready to dive under my desk when the shaking stopped. I sat there for a minute -- mind you, I could still hear it -- then, silence. I checked on the rest of the family and turned on the TV to WPSD. It wasn't long until they announced what I had suspected: an Earthquake.

Anyway, I've not felt the aftershocks either, but honestly, I don't want to. The Earthquake was enough to scare me out of my wits. It was my first big Earthquake, and I've lived here all my life. I'm 33 years old.

Just thought I'd say hello and share my experience. Keep up the great writing, and feel free to visit my blog when you get a chance.

Blessings,

Misti Sandefur, Novelist/Freelance Writer

Sue Glasco said...

Misti--
I have been aware of your success as a freelance writer for some months now. In fact, I subscribe to your newsletter. You have certainly accomplished a lot to only be 33 years old.

It was great to hear from you. Thanks for your comments. It was a thrill to know you've been reading my blog. I also blog on Sunday night on AmazonConnect on my book page.

I know you are busy with family and writing. But if you ever have time, come over to John A. Logan College on the third Thursday of the month and visit Southern Illinois Writers Guild. We would love to have you.

Thanks again for writing.
Sue

Misti Sandefur, Christian author/freelance writer said...

Sue,

I thought I recognized your name from my newsletter subscribers. :)

Yes, I've worked many hours to get to where I am today, and writing has been a passion of mine since I was 8 years old.

You're welcome for the comment. I've been enjoying reading your blog, and it's always nice to read blogs by local writers. I found you a few months ago when I searched Google for blogs by writers in my area. Some I found weren't interesting, but when I came across yours, I immediately added it to my RSS reader.

I've thought about the Southern Illinois Writers Guild, and maybe one day I will pay a visit. It probably won't be until gas prices go down some, but then again, they may never go down and I'll just have to grit my teeth as I fill up the tank and come anyway. I do hope the gas prices will at least go back to under $3.00 per gallon, though.

If you're ever planning a trip to Harrisburg, contact me and maybe we can meet for coffee. I have Monday's off. You can contact me through my blog or website.

Keep up the great writing on your blog and take care!

Blessings,

Misti Sandefur
Christian Author/Freelance Writer

Sue Glasco said...

Misti--

I will take you up on that coffee date in Harrisburg one of these Mondays. (May take all summer to have such a day. Who knows??) We have just returned this afternoon from weekend trip to Lincoln, Nebraska, to see our granddaughter Erin play softball. So as usual, I am behind on everything.

Sue