The whole family (Tim, Beth, Katie, Kenzie and Bill, Adam and Me) piled in on Mom and Daddy the Thursday night before Good Friday. Daddy had supper ready for us. Beth made plans to get a perm in her hair on Friday. So we stay up a little late talking and laughing.
On Friday, Mom cooked a big breakfast and Beth, Adam and I headed to K-Mart. Beth had a hair appointment at 12:30. Around 12, Beth and I left Mom’s house to JC Penney at the mall. Mom told us there were Tornado Watches in the area. The sky looked bad and as we got out of the car at the mall, it started to sprinkle rain. Beth got settled in at the salon so I decided to browse the store. Mom called my cell phone to tell me that a Tornado Warning had been issued for the area. I told her I would go to the salon and sit with Beth. Not 3 minutes after I sat down in the salon, a lady came over the intercom of the store to ask everyone to make their way to the hall where the bathrooms were. Beth had 3 rollers in her hair so far. So everyone is packed in the hall. We met a lady who had an iPhone and could get the weather radar on her phone. We could see the storm cell and it was shaped in a “C”, coming right through Murfreesboro and the area where Beth and I were and headed toward Mom and Daddy’s house. We tried to text and call Mom, Daddy, Tim, Bill and Adam, but could not get through. We would get text messages, but at a delay of 20-30 minutes.
After about 30 minutes in the hall, we were told we could leave the hall area for a few minutes, but there was another line of storms headed through again. I walked near the outside doors to see if I could get signal on my cell phone. There were metal doors moving up on the outside the glass doors like a garage door. The store closes those doors to protect from breaking glass. Beth went back to the salon and they began putting more curlers in her hair. I was finally able to get a hold of Tim and find out everyone at Mom and Daddy’s house were ok. After about 10 minutes, we were told to go back to the hall. We were in there about 20 minutes. All tornado warnings and watches had been lifted. Beth finished getting her perm and I sat around the salon. We could hear people talking about a tornado actually touching down in the area. I was able to get phone calls to go through back home and was able to talk to my best friend Carol, and texted back and forth with my other best friend Amy. A former student actually called to check on us.
After about 30 minutes in the hall, we were told we could leave the hall area for a few minutes, but there was another line of storms headed through again. I walked near the outside doors to see if I could get signal on my cell phone. There were metal doors moving up on the outside the glass doors like a garage door. The store closes those doors to protect from breaking glass. Beth went back to the salon and they began putting more curlers in her hair. I was finally able to get a hold of Tim and find out everyone at Mom and Daddy’s house were ok. After about 10 minutes, we were told to go back to the hall. We were in there about 20 minutes. All tornado warnings and watches had been lifted. Beth finished getting her perm and I sat around the salon. We could hear people talking about a tornado actually touching down in the area. I was able to get phone calls to go through back home and was able to talk to my best friend Carol, and texted back and forth with my other best friend Amy. A former student actually called to check on us.
On the way home, Beth and I ran into traffic that was backed up for a few miles. We sat in traffic hoping to get through to Mom and Daddy’s. We had talked to Tim and he told us that the tornado had actually touched down about ¼ a mile from the house.
We finally arrived at the main road that goes to Mom and Daddy’s – Thompson Lane. It had been blocked off from traffic up until the point that we arrived. Fortunately when we got there, the police had reopened the road. Apparently power lines were on the ground. As we turned onto Thompson Lane, we saw the devastation. There were splinters of trees, and 18 wheeler trailers twisted around each other. After looking at the map of the tornado path, I realized that the tornado went right between Mom and Daddy’s house and where Beth and I were. We were in more danger than I thought. God was definitely protecting us. We got to Mom and Daddy’s house and there was no electricity. Cell phones were very limited in calls and texting. We “debriefed” on the storm. Adam made the comment that the “C” we saw on the weather radar represented Christ protecting us.
We finally arrived at the main road that goes to Mom and Daddy’s – Thompson Lane. It had been blocked off from traffic up until the point that we arrived. Fortunately when we got there, the police had reopened the road. Apparently power lines were on the ground. As we turned onto Thompson Lane, we saw the devastation. There were splinters of trees, and 18 wheeler trailers twisted around each other. After looking at the map of the tornado path, I realized that the tornado went right between Mom and Daddy’s house and where Beth and I were. We were in more danger than I thought. God was definitely protecting us. We got to Mom and Daddy’s house and there was no electricity. Cell phones were very limited in calls and texting. We “debriefed” on the storm. Adam made the comment that the “C” we saw on the weather radar represented Christ protecting us.
The following link has excellent pictures and video from the area.
http://www.dnj.com/
Mom and Daddy had planned for us to have a luau that night. She had already made the baked potatoes for the twice baked potatoes before the electricity went off. She had planned to bake a pork roast. Since the electricity was off, she put the pork roast on the grill. It was awesome. The warmed the potatoes on the grill as well. She had bought us leis to wear for the luau. A picture of the girls and their leis are above. We ate supper together. It was starting to get dark so Daddy got out his Coleman lantern and flashlights. We sat at the dining room table until 11:00 playing dominoes by the lantern and candlelight. We had a blast. Katie and Kenzie are really good at playing dominoes. Katie is ditzy like me and Kenzie is competitive like Beth and my Mom!
Saturday we got up and hung out. Tim, Beth and the girls had planned to go back home. Bill, Adam and I had planned to stay until Sunday and go to church with Mom and Daddy on Easter Sunday. (I always try to be with my Daddy on Easter because his Momma died on Easter Sunday over 20 years ago). There was still no electricity.
http://www.dnj.com/
Mom and Daddy had planned for us to have a luau that night. She had already made the baked potatoes for the twice baked potatoes before the electricity went off. She had planned to bake a pork roast. Since the electricity was off, she put the pork roast on the grill. It was awesome. The warmed the potatoes on the grill as well. She had bought us leis to wear for the luau. A picture of the girls and their leis are above. We ate supper together. It was starting to get dark so Daddy got out his Coleman lantern and flashlights. We sat at the dining room table until 11:00 playing dominoes by the lantern and candlelight. We had a blast. Katie and Kenzie are really good at playing dominoes. Katie is ditzy like me and Kenzie is competitive like Beth and my Mom!
Saturday we got up and hung out. Tim, Beth and the girls had planned to go back home. Bill, Adam and I had planned to stay until Sunday and go to church with Mom and Daddy on Easter Sunday. (I always try to be with my Daddy on Easter because his Momma died on Easter Sunday over 20 years ago). There was still no electricity.
In the course of the morning, Adam’s dad, Denny called. He told us that his Grandmother, Memaw Terry had passed away during the night. They had celebrated her 100 year birthday back in January. We decided to go ahead an head back home Saturday evening. Adam would need to go to Oneida Sunday afternoon and I planned to go with him.
Mom and Daddy loaded up coolers with all the stuff from their freezer since there was no electricity. They were afraid that it would all spoil. To Beth and I brought home lots of frozen food. Around 2 hours after we left their house, Mom and Daddy's electricity was restored.
Easter Sunday, we got up and headed to church. By the time we got there, the church was packed. We had to sit very near the front. We fixed frozen pizza and ate a quick lunch. Adam and I then headed to Oneida. I met Denny and he took Adam on to his house. I went to my Grandma’s and visited with her and my Aunt Pat for a few hours. Then I headed to the funeral home to meet up with Adam. His Mamaw, Wanda, was of course there because Memaw was her mom. I wanted to see Wanda and Tonja, Denny’s sister, and express my condolences. It was good to see parts of Adam’s and Denny’s family I had not seen in a very long time. Denny and I have been divorced for over 13 years, and it’s nice that we can get along and work together. We headed home and got in bed to get a good night’s rest for a very busy week.
To Be Continued….
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment