All good plans get changed, I guess. I was looking forward to some serious playtime in my art room last night without distraction. As I sat in the IV chair I thought about what I would be doing, and was getting happy. Then BAM a sudden explosive shower / thunder / microburst happened. My car roof was down, so I had to get the IV unhooked to go put the roof up (alas, it was too late. There was a clear inch of rain in the car.) It was bad. When I got home, I found Anne, Mary, and Pat sitting on my neighbor's steps with the fire department looking at Sharon's house which now had half of a hundred+ year old tree leaning on the roof. The fire department blocked off the street, the police came, then Sharon was reached and came home. The building inspector came, The arguments with the insurance company commenced (Liberty Mutual was NOT HELPFUL, FYI.) and then the tree company came and artfully dismantled the monsterous tree with delicate precision. Really skilled work. There is a lot of damage.
All the neighbors were gathered to watch and finally got to meet each other, which was nice. Had we known how long it would take, we would have had margaritas. At least this got everyone familiar with each other and a real gathering is in the works. Our street is special. We always have been a good neighborhood, breathing with enough privacy and distance, but connected through helpful friendship, kindness, and community. It makes such a difference to have everyone acknowledge that we are all truly living together -- the in and out of daily life, the snowstorms, the rain storms, the holidays, the gardening, the wildlife, the traffic. It is a village on my street, and with so many new couples moving in (and so many babies!) the new neighborhood is being formed. Makes me happy to hear one neighbor say "We never want to move! This is such a great neighborhood!") Mostly due to the leadership of Anne and Mary, the matriarchs of our street. We all laughed that none of us could tear ourselves away from the tree cutting last night and how we all found it to be a source of entertainment on a Friday night. At least no one was hurt, and Sharon is safe, staying with her son until things get sorted. What a mess. Sharon was in shock and everyone rallied to hang out with her until her son had things sorted and took her home. Community makes a difference.
So, no art yesterday. And today is Bird Nail Day. Then maybe some art? I want to put my whopping IV steroid dose to good use. Onward!