I'm back... kind of!

Our phone lines have been repaired and the new modem arrived yesterday.  Christopher got it all up and running for us today.  I am so thankful my computer is okay.  Since the battery in the laptop is dead, it is almost always plugged in but I had unplugged it earlier that day so Christopher could charge his laptop before going to work.

Many thanks to Linda for hacking my blog and informing you what was going on.  I told her that you know you trust someone when you give them your Google password.  I called her from my front lawn while waiting for the fire department to arrive a week and a half ago.  Then early on Sunday morning, I once again called her while sitting by Victoria's kitty carrier on the front lawn as the fire department (with EMT personnel this time) arrived once again.

We couldn't locate Miss Victoria and thought perhaps she had gotten out into our garage.  She is always trying to partake in forbidden adventures.  While my husband was looking behind everything for her, he spotted FLAMES coming from the gas line going into the dryer.  As soon as he ran into the house to tell me to call 911 on my cell phone (our phone lines were repaired but our phones fried), I looked down and Victoria was sitting by my feet.

I am convinced God had hidden her so we had to look in the garage and found that fire.  The EMT personnel were sent as there was a dangerous gas buildup in our house after hubby put that fire out.  (We later were told by the firemen that the garage wall was already scorched and we would have had a full scale fire shortly.)  Ummm... not to mention the whole house blowing up thing.  The damage to the gas line was caused by the lightening strike.

So now we not only have major repairs and replacements as a result of the lightening strike but the gas lines to our house have been (obviously) turned off until that repair can be made.  I am cooking in the dark and doing dishes by boiling water on the stove.  But I am back online... and so much better off than those who have completely lost their home.  God spared us from fire twice.

The free repairs were done immediately (telephone and Direct TV) so I had opportunity to talk to those repairmen... as well as the guys from our rural electric company who arrived immediately after the strike.  All three told me lightening strikes have been very bad this year. 

When we were hit, I heard thunder in the distance but the sky over our house was SUNNY!  When I called 911 and told them we had been hit by lightening and our house was filled with smoke, they asked "what lightening and what storm?".  Obviously that warning about taking cover when you hear thunder even if you cannot see a storm is correct.

We are in the process of borrowing money for our large deductible.  All professionals have given their estimates and we only need to complete the list of items "fried" and replacement costs.  Except for the high deductible, the costs will be taken care of by our insurance.

I will chat about the emotional and spiritual side of all of this on Sunday, hopefully.  Just day to day living takes so much time and energy right now... and that doesn't take in the heat.  Thank God (literally!) our AC was not taken out as we reached over 100 degrees today.

I missed you all!