Tell EMS to Grab My Knitting!

Dear John,

 

Greetings from the snow belt! Your little family hibernated today. Kathy texted me this morning to not come to work, which was good, because word from the county sheriff's department was to avoid the roads at all costs. At one point today, two of the four roads into Topeka were drifted shut. It snowed all day. And with the wind at 25 mph, you can imagine the drifting. The driveway is indistinguishable from the rest of the yard, and it has the usual big drift across the middle of it. Word is that State Route 5 south of Topeka is not for the sane.

 

I don't know what tomorrow will bring. We're not expecting any more snow until Saturday. The snow on the driveway may be powdery enough for me to blast through it, but Hondas are a bit low-slung and I don't want to get stuck. There's no way I'll get to work on time if I have to use the snow blower, because I can't start before it gets light outside. I'll have to evaluate it in the morning. Kathy mentioned having me work late tomorrow to make up hours. But if the roads are bad, I don't want to drive home after dark.

 

Your car - Jen's car now

I'm looking at the driving issue differently now that I'm by myself. I don't worry about injury to me; I worry about the car. If this one gets damaged, I don't have a second car to drive. And I can't afford to replace it. If I get injured, I'll grow back. The car won't. So when I travel on bad roads, I pray for the car's safety, not mine.

 

I can feel your disapproval. It's part of being alone - that feeling of having not back-up, of having no extra resources for emergencies. And it's very uncomfortable. I have to be sure I have everything in the house that I'd need in case of an emergency. If I ever have to call 911, I'll be making sure they pack my contact things, knitting, and laptop into the ambulance because you're not here to bring the things I need to the hospital. It's a ridiculous situation to live in. Heaven help us if I sprain an ankle! My situation is precarious, and I don't see that ever changing.

 

Well, the Lord can provide in all kinds of situation. And, as I've pointed out before, it's been years since we've had land mines or snipers here in Topeka, so I have nothing to complain about. And on these cold winter nights, I have the animals to keep me warm. They don't do it as well as you did, but one must make do with what one has!

 

Wishing I still had you,

Joan.