The summer rains have come to Florida. People in other places, when they see the Florida weather forecast, think it rains all summer here. It does, but only in the late afternoons for an hour or so. It's really no big deal.
Except when, occasionally, the power goes out, the way it did two nights ago. When that happens I tend to freak out. The other evening, a while after the big thunder clap that shut us down, Dave laid down and listened to NPR on the (battery operated) radio. He asked me to lay down beside him. I said, "I have some other things to do." But I was thinking "Are you crazy? I have to plan our escape - before I have the heart attack I feel coming on."
In 2004 Central Florida had three major hurricanes in a row. The central part of the state rarely feels the full force of the storms and this area had not had a real hurricane in over 30 years. It would be hard to explain how traumatizing these three storms in a row were. The worst part, in general, was the many days without power after each storm.
The worst part personally was that my husband, Ken, died here at home during the storms.
You would think, after 12 years, I would have recovered. But the other night I was on high alert and thoroughly stressed during the four hours the power was out. There was no logic to it. We were fine. We could have gone to the mall or to a movie and not even been aware of it.
But I was hovered over a scented Yankee Candle in the kitchen like it was the End Times trying to thaw out bread slices over the flame so we could have peanut butter sandwiches. Possibly our last meal.
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