Scattered Showers...Heavy at times.

 

Life is full of scattered showers, ok so over the last couple of years and well if you do not count a brief period of clear skies, myself and my husbands lives have been filled with down pours...we have learned you just gotta to pull on the rain boots, jump in the puddles, enjoy it as much as you can, and well deal with getting soaked from time to time. As one person recently told me "Only witches melt." I agree with that, but you often can feel as if you are drowning....the trick is to find a port in the storm, a life raft if needed, regroup and get back out there. 

Hubby and I have been as I said doing that our entire life together. There are days, either from pain, or feeling overwhelmed by fear and worry that I forget to put up my umbrella.( for him it is days when work is slower than desired or needed and he feels he can not provide for me.) But most days I really enjoy getting a bit wet. I mean without it you can not know the pleasure of being dry. OK , ok, I know I am speaking with a lot of metaphors. But this is often what my brain comes up with. Today it was triggered by actually nearly getting drenched, and now being home safe, warm and dry.

California is entering an early wet season and this week is to be one storm after another. It was forecasted to be HUGE...and it may be when all the storms come and go, at least in rain amounts. Hubby and I were both concerned that car sales would be down, he needed this weekend to be a big one, as this next week statistically is very slow. Well yesterday was to be the worst of the storms, but by God's grace ( a huge umbrella) it did not rain most of the day, and he had a good day. Today I woke to rain, and on my computer it basically said it was a whole day thing. BUT, again, there was a break. So I geared up , beenie to boots and headed out. Jury still out on what hubbies work day has been like.

At first it was really windy and cool and I was wishing for a T shirt under my sweater and coat combo as it was going right through me. I nearly turned back, but I had an errand to run and well I really wanted to get my three miles in. I get very stiff and more achy if I skip my walk. I continued. Soon the sun peeked out and seemed to shine just on me. Gloves came off. Hood came down and I unwrapped my scarf. I walked along enjoying the birds coming out to peck at bugs and peppercorns that were scattered from last nights down pour and winds on the side walk. I could see VERY dark clouds in the distance, but wanted to make it to my destination.

I needed to get to a store and get my hubby something small for Christmas. I took all the spare money I had saved up in my coffee money jar and had a mission to buy a gift. YES, I did say the other day I had used the Cost Plus/ World Market credit for a gift for him ( skipping over the faux fur scarf I was drooling over and buying more Pumpkin Spice coffee) but found out that our youngest had bought him the same exact thing. So not wanting to repeat that gift. I truly was at a loss. I had not much on me. The account is empty, as is my gas tank so it needed to be from a place I could walk and well under 10.00...not to mention,  well as we all know Christmas is next week so time is short . I could feel a few scattered showers of life heading my way.

So when there was a break in the storm today it was to me the perfect time to chase the life showers away. I am happy to say I found something that is perfect for him. NOT EASY TO DO! He is so hard, he really only needs basics, work clothes etc, but he will get those with his Christmas bonus from work. He loves food and chocolate gifts, but always gets enough from the girls to last him. We do not own a house now, so no need for tools, which he always adored. I can  not afford a good bottle of wine or more Scotch for him. But as I am happy to say I solved  the issue...wish I could tell you...but I know that he reads my blog. 

With the task at hand done, I headed home. I walked pretty fast cause I could smell all the places to eat cooking up lunch for hungry shoppers and my tummy was grumbling ,I had no money to stop in. I started to feel the wind pick up, turned around and saw a dark sky and clouds quickly approaching. I prayed to God that he let me get home dry, or at least to shelter before the storm hit, knowing that my umbrella would be of no match for the wind and I would be drenched....been there done that and wet jeans do not feel good! 

I increased my speed, not easy for me to do , I won't lie. I hurt and ached all over and could barely breathe...to get back home is all up hill and so not an easy thing to walk fast. I got within a couple of blocks, the first few big fat raindrops began to fall on the ground. I prayed again, "Please just let me get to the apartment complex office so I can gain shelter and have a chance to ride it out". The wind picked up. The drops got a bit more steady. I walked faster than I thought I could. I just made it to the edge of the covered walk way that leads to our apartment and got blown forward by a gust of wind ( God's hand?) WOOSH a down pour ! I got down the hall, around the corner, up the stairs and shut the door. If you can believe it, it began to rain even harder, wind was blowing trees sideways, and a rare thing for this area, there was thunder!!! Prayer was answered. HE cut it a bit close, but still here I sit, warm, dry and quite happy at being so. The down pour did not last long, in fact it is back to sprinkles. Hence the "heavy at times" as the weather man had stated on TV today.

Life is like that, as I said , scattered showers, heavy at times, and just when you think you are going to get drenched, drown in a puddle that is actually more deep than you ever thought possible, shelter comes. Prayers, like a giant umbrella with a slicker included are answered and often there is a life raft there for you too if you need it. You just simply have to remember to ask, and wipe that rain out of your eyes so you can see it. May God always answer your prayers and keep you dry, warm and out of the proverbial storm.