rain Rain AND MORE RAIN ... part two

Yes, it is still raining here ... lots and lots of rain.

So much rain that the school canceled yesterday (Monday)

and is cancelling today, Tuesday, too.

But, back to the continuation of ... 

going to, and through, hell.

Going "to" hell was the first part of the ordeal, and being away from my children.

Going "through" hell was the second part of the ordeal, and being away 

from my children even longer than originally planned.

So here is the second part .. the "going through" part.

On February 12th, I rented another U-Haul and made several trips

to place our belongings into storage.

I had one week until the girls were supposed to come to me, 

and I didn't even have a home for them.

Nor did I have a car, or a job.

Remember, the whole premise of this move in the first place

was that we were going to have a roof over our head, and transportation.

Oh! something I failed to mention in the previous post

was that I was also going to go back to school to get my
Masters in Theology ... and, so, I didn't need to worry about a job, either.

I was planning to substitute at the local schools
every once in a while

for extra money, that's it.

(The school where I want to get my Masters is out of North Carolina, 

and is closer to the Virginia caretaker opportunity, but I had already 

discussed arrangements to complete my coursework online ... so 

living in Missouri was not going to be a problem.)

Anyway, so, no home no car no job ... and my girls were coming in one week.

Talk about hell.

My family back home in TEXAS knew of the situation,

and we all agreed to postpone the girls coming until Spring Break ...

that gave me a little time to figure out what in the hell

I was going to do, and how I was going to do it.

(sorry for all the hell words ... but it is applicable.)

My middle miracle didn't mind the set-back at all ... 

it gave her more time with her friends.

To say she really didn't want to make this move

would be a gross understatement ...

imagine you being 15, and leaving the only life 

you have ever known, and hmmm, yeah.
Enough said.

So I got an immediate job as a waitress at the Redneck Cafe 

... in Alton, Missouri ...

which is another story, in and of itself, but

not one I am sure I am going to tell.

We'll see about that.

Yeah, I'll tell it ... be patient though, for I already have sooo much to tell.

I DID LOVE WAITRESSING THOUGH ... WOW!

For real ... I found myself "at home" tending to people, and 

it was also a great way to meet people ... 

seeing how I, literally, didn't know a single soul there.

On my time off from the Redneck Cafe, I found myself

looking and looking and looking

for a home 

for my children 

which is difficult to do in a small town.

The few homes that were available were not acceptable to me, at all, but

I really wasn't in a position to be picky, either.

Still I held on, and kept looking ... having faith that 

the PERFECT one would eventually present itself.

And it did "present itself" alright ... mhmm ...

ONE WEEK BEFORE THE KIDS WERE SET TO COME
did it finally present itself, and it

 was a filthy mess.

But, filth and all, it was perfect.

It needed a lot of work, and still does, but I immediately set out

to work on it ... elbow grease, and paint, were my first weapons of choice.

It needs a lot of work ... a lot of work ... but its location is perfect ...

on the outskirts of town, just inside the city limits, and it sits on top of a hill.

The lot is big, the neighbors are nice, and the view is beautiful.

 

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