Deja Vu

The wind began to blow is such the same way on Sunday May 22nd as it did that infamous Sunday of just a few weeks ago on April 10th.  Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued earlier in the day, extending throughout the evening.  It was such a beautiful sunny, warm day, who could imagine what God would bring next. 

Could it be Deja Vu?

I spent the morning at church with my mother, and afterwards went to lunch.  Upon returning to her home in Wild Rose, the sky began to turn an ominous green.  The radar on the television showed a mighty storm-front moving though the area in the direction of Poy Sippi, West Bloomfield, over Lake Poygan with Boom Bay as its target.  The same path as the tornado took last April which ripped over my home and neighbor's.  My heart literally sank when anxiousness rolled over my senses; fear began to creep in.  I began to pray. 

My mother and I intently watched the radar as the storm moved over her house, picking up speed, spinning and churning its way over Lake Poygan.  The weathermen reporting hail, 4 inches in diameter, hurdling to the ground, explaining that this hail would pummel and destroy any vehicle beneath it; let alone a person or animal.  Cyclonic activity is evident on the radar… Could two tornados really hit the same area within two months time? 

The storm moved over the lake and across Boom Bay where my home is.  What would I see upon returning home?  What would I find?  Would the remaining trees in  my yard be standing?  Would my Grandfather's truck, one of his prized possessions which was left to me upon his death, be destroyed?  After the previous tornado dropped a tree on it, anything is possible.  I prayed that God would give me strength to preserver through what ever it was that I would find.

Nearly two hours after the storm passed I arrived home… to a home still standing.  Trees still firmly rooted.  My property maimed, but not shaken. 

Fresh green leaves from my maple trees littered the ground and the walls of my house.  My next-door neighbor, Jeremy, confirmed the reports of softball sized hail. 

Again, I arrived home after nearly two hours had passed since the storm moved through.  The temperature was over 70 degrees that day, yet hail, many pieces being the size of my fist, lay scattered over my yard. 

God is good.  He protected us from the fury of the April 10th tornado, and He protected yet again. 

Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever.  Amen

Philippians 4:20

Happy Birthday Genie!

Over Memorial Day weekend, my mom, my Grandma and I took a little trip to Montello.  We set out to visit my Great Uncle Genie; it was his birthday.
 
It was a much anticipated trip for the last time my mother and I saw Genie was at my Great Grandmother’s funeral… nearly a year ago to date.

As we entered the nursing home room, we found what as a somberly familiar sight, Genie lying in his bed sleeping.  Seeing Genie lay in his bed brought back the memory of seeing my Grandfather for the last time before his passing last Labor Day.  There is a striking family resemblance throughout the four brothers, Les (my Grandpa), Genie, Cliff and Jack.  This took us aback for a moment.

We decided to let Genie rest, after all you don’t mess with a Mountford man as he sleeps.  The three of us girls took advantage of the afternoon sun and drove around the countryside delivering flowers to their respective graves. 

For me it was a rather enlightening voyage.  We visited the Methodist Cemetery in Moundville to place flowers on the grave of the Great Grandfather, William.  While walking through the tombstones, my Grandmother brought us to other members of our family, including Anna Mountford, or as my mom grew up calling her Grandma Hoppy (Hoppwood).


After our memorial trip we returned back in Genie.  This time he was wide awake, and with company.  His old and dear neighbors stopped in, as their grandson had just finished his graduation ceremony at the high school across the street.

It was wonderful to see Genie again.  We were all so happy to speak with him, and find him in such good humor; I think he especially liked the traditional happy birthday serenade!  We shared birthday cake and stories of yesteryear.  It was truly a blessing to reconnect with family.

What a wonderful “Memorial” day I had.