I’ve been trying to get back to the blog but so much has gone on…where to start.  I finally just decided the best way to do this is with one, long, never ending post.  So here it goes.

One day a tree tried to kill me……

or… the day Facebook saved me from certain doom.

A few weeks ago I was getting ready to go see patients when I got distracted by Facebook.  I realized I was now running a few minutes late and started bolting through the house.  I head into the garage and, darn it all, someone is banging on the door.  I ran back to the door, nobody’s there but I keep hearing banging and popping.  Then the lights start flashing, the house fills with smoke and electrical sounds/smells and BOOOOOOOM!

A tree fell down, right behind my car and if I hadn’t been playing around on Facebook it would’ve landed on me and the car.  Seeeee????!!!!!! Facebook is a good thing.  

Mr. Tree 

When Mr. Tree decided to make his decent, he blocked my car in the garage and, at the same time, pulled down the main electric line to the house. And bent the stack for the house.  And caused all sorts of lightbulbs, etc to burst.  And killed a TV.  And a blender.  And a fax machine.

Then my protester decided to check on my well being.

Or not.

Utility people came and chain saws were activated and then, my protester showed up.  I, proving I can still be somewhat naive, actually thought that maybe this will have a good outcome and through this tree incident I can start a cordial relationship with her.

I. am. a. stooge.

A Protester Comes for a Visit 

Instead, I heard the protester telling the utility guy that he should leave the tree where it fell (i.e. behind my car, blocking my driveway and keeping my car in the garage) because that is where nature intended it to be.  The utility guy informed her that due to the electrical wires and threat to property and safety that he must move the tree.  Then my protester (who I will not call a ninny or a twit or a snit…. because that would be wrong!) had another idea.  She asked the utility man if he could cut the pieces in one foot sections so she could…. wait for it….

build a monument to the fallen tree.  

(Nope.  Not kidding!!!!!)

Utility man said no, protester protested, utility man stated that he can’t do private jobs, he’s there for the public of Mount Dora.  Protester snarked and then utility man asked “you’re the lady who holds up the signs aren’t you?”.  And then the chainsaws drowned out the rest of the conversation.  Protester spent the rest of the day… protesting me, our family, etc.

And then things got very noisy.

Tree people and inspectors and electricians and and and…. all descended on to my house.  And my protester stood at the street and gazed upon all of them with love and joy in her heart.  (OK, not exactly.)  And by nightfall, there was a pile of tree parts and sawdust at the corner of my driveway, the electricity was back on and I had returned to my nice, quiet, air conditioned life.

And two days later….

… we had a sod party.

The tree fell in the middle of all of the preparations that Dana had been  doing to get our yard ready for new sod.  On Saturday morning, bright and early, a group of friends showed up and started throwing sod.  Beautiful Zoysia sod.

Before: Desolate Wasteland

Sod Progress

More Progress

Jack Henry Supervises

Sod Crew

All Done

Now that the sod was done, it was time to dance.

The following weekend, AG had her ballet recital which is a weekend long affair.   The ballet was Mother Goose and AG and her class did Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Anna Grace is one of the children that “laugh and play” over seeing a lamb at school.

Anna Grace

The Pre-Ballet 2 Class 

She did great.  You could tell this year she came to the place of not worrying so much about getting it just right but she had learned how to enjoy the whole experience as well.  I’m really proud of her!!

And through all of this activity…

I finished the back and one side of Cloud Chaser.