Well, I have finally returned to the scene. I thought writing my thoughts would be alot easier, but as with everythng else, I have lost interest.
I am really down because my family was really affected by the flooding after hurricane Irene. My sister said she went downstairs to the family room at 7:30 AM and everything was fine. When her husband went down at 9:30PM, there was wate everywhere. What makes matters worse, a waterpipe had burst in the wall where the ice maker in their fridge is connected. The ceiling fell down in the den and there was a ton of damage. As for Irene, they do not have flood insurance because it is not sold where they live, in Rockland County, so they are responsible for any losses.
My poor brother is another case. He has lived in Wayne, NJ for the past 4 years and, fortunately, the flood waters have alays stopped at his walkway to his house. His neighbors hav been flooded several times. This time, however, Dwayne's time ran out. His sump pump gave out & before he could fins another one, there was 6 feet of water in his basement. His new water heater was destroyed along with the central a/c unit. The river & sewers polluted, not just the house, but the pool. The smell was horrendous. At least no one was hurt.
All of this happened just before the children returned to school. My sister, Anita, insisted that my brother's family stay with her because there was just so long they could live in a hotel and there ws no way she was going to let them live in their car. This is great except the 2 school-aged children, 8 and 6, now have a 2 hour commute each day. They don't complain. In fact, the 6 year old celebrated her birthday during all this shifting around.
To make matters worse, my brother was laid off his job about 2 months before Irene. He is struggling so much & putting up a good front, but I am worried about his health-his heart & high blood pressure. Yet, he always tries to have a smile on his face.
My sister has become the matriarch & has been holding things together which is what my mom used to do but he has really gotten depressed because my dad's Alzheimer's has gotten worse. The doctors will not allow him to stay at home any longer so he is in a really nice veterans' hospital. It's so nice, I would not mind living there. Mom is so sad all the time because my dad always asked when he could come home. Now, he doesn't say much of anything. He's been there about 5 years now.
Mom & Dad had to sell their house because it was too difficult for them to maintain. (The guy who plowed the driveway & took care of the trees & lawn retired & they were unable to find another company that was reliable.)
Mom lives in a lovely senior building that looks like a hotel. The problem is Mom was always used her own house & privacy. She was also used to friends & family dropping by all the time. Now, when she goes anywhere, the busybodies make comments as to when she leaves & how late she comes back. When we visit her, the busybodies comment again. (They are not supposed to sit in the lobby & watch peoples' comings & goings, but they do.) Mom's eyes do not smile anymore. She always looks sad & there is nothig I can do about it. (She suggested we move in together but I know that would definitely be a bad idea.)
As for me, like Popeye sez, "I yam what I yam." I just keep praying that everything works out for my family & that something comes along so that I can help them all. Since I am still out of a job, I have had to cut my life insurance by more than half so they would not ge much for me if I bit the dust.
I am in the process of discardinng 35 years of junk I have accumulated over the years. The other day I found cancelled cheks from 1978! My magazines date back to 1990. (No, none of them are worth any money.) Next time, I come back I might explain how I got started throwing out my stuff. (My family does not even know why. Sh-hh-h-hhh.)
That is all for now. God Bless & take care!!
Sez Me
