SO Much Happening!

Allen and I, our daughter, Adair, along with Allen's sister and her husband and Allen's parents went to a cabin high in the Smokies, scheduled to return last Wednesday. Mother Nature had a different plan for us. Kentucky suffered a terrible ice and snow storm while we were gone. The roads between Jellico, TN and Lexington were closed, giving us an extra day at the cabin. On Thursday, we got word that the Interstate was open and we loaded up for the trip home. From Knoxville to Berea, KY (about 35 miles from Lexington), we saw no evidence of snow or ice. As soon as we crossed through Berea, we began to see snow. When we reached Richmond, it was as if we had crossed a line into another land. We immediately saw trees so heavy with ice that they were literally lying on the ground. Power lines were laden with snow and hanging low. The closer we got to Lexington, the more devastation we saw. The things we saw after we exited the interstate and entered the familiar roads of home left Allen and I speechless. All we could do was stare in disbelief at the damage from the ice. Lexington looked like a war zone. By the time we reached our home, I had tears running down my cheeks. The trunks of the two holly trees that flank our garage were bent and the trees were lying completely on the ground. All of our trees were heavy with ice that was at least an inch in diameter. Our neighbor has a 20 year old Weeping Willow tree that had been uprooted and was lying on the ground. Our neighborhood streets were impassable. Schools had been closed for a week. As of today, Kentucky has one half million homes without power, most of them without water, also. There have been 47 deaths. An entire family died from carbon monoxide poisoning---they were running a generator in the garage with the garage door closed. One utility worker fell 40 feet off a pole ON HIS HEAD! The last I heard, he was in an ICU at the KY Medical Center in critical condition. Some have died from hypothermia, some because their oxygen concentrators could not run without electricity. Four schools in our city are still without power and the largest high school in Lex. is being used as a shelter for those who have no place to go. So, I imagine there will be no school tomorrow. Some counties have been told that they will be without power for 7-10 days. Mother Nature is not smiling on our area. The meteorologist at our NBC affiliate says there is a great chance that we will get as much as a foot of snow this week, just depends on how the wind blows and the upcoming storm tracks. Click on the pics for a larger view!

While we were stranded in TN, my son, Jon, was hospitalized. He has had several episodes of severe dizziness, a loss of control of his muscles which last for 5-10 minutes and leaving him with a headache. After one episode, he found himself on the floor. He had a MRI of his head and a spinal tap which came back normal. The neurologist is thinking he is having migraines with the dizziness being a precursor. He was hospitalized last Tuesday, the day the ice storm hit Lexington and I couldn't get home to be with him. With the interstate closed, I was ready to get to Knoxville and fly home but, the Lex. airport was closed. Jon is 32, a grown man---but he is still MY boy. Adair was back in Lex. before the storm hit and was able to get to the hospital. She played my role well, asking the docs all of the questions and calling me with the answers. Jon is in a budding relationship with a really sweet girl (we just met her yesterday) and she visited with him as well. The meds aren't helping much as he still has a bad headache. He sees the neuro doc on Wednesday and hopefully she will try a different medication.

I have taken lots of great pictures for my Project 365 and am looking forward to working on it some tomorrow.