Worn, Weathered, and Writing Again!

Let it never be said that a little wind never hurt anybody. My absence from updating my blog has been due to the double-whammy hits of hurricanes to my neighborhood. First it was Francis and three weeks later - nearly to the day, and exactly in the same inlet, followed Jeanne. I found it difficult to concentrate on writing anything post-hurricane strikes. The whole experience is exhausting. The past several weeks I have felt weighted and weary; as if I were stuck in the mud - spinning my wheels and getting nowhere. If living in paradise comes with a price, then we here on Florida's Treasure Coast have been double-billed. The damage to my own home is relatively minor compared to what many of my neighbors have suffered. None of us expected two hurricanes in three weeks to hit us directly; consequently, those of us with livable homes dare not complain. I only hope that we haven't assessed any late fees, in the form of more hurricanes this year.

My nephew's daughter was born in the midst of hurricane Jeanne - forcing the first-time parents to risk an adventurous trip to the hospital they will never forget. Nothing turned out as originally planned, but in the end it all turned out okay. It seems the signs of renewal are everywhere. Damaged plants and trees are sprouting new leaves. Homes are being repaired and roads rebuilt. Schools finally reopened to students who all seem unusually eager to get back to the daily grind of learning - for some, school is the last vestige of normalcy in their upturned lives.

As I sit and write this update I am literally surrounded by a cacophony of hammering as roofs are being repaired at a furious pace in every direction. Add the drone of chain saws and the intermittent hum of lawn mowers to punctuate the constant rap-tap-tapping for a veritable symphony of reclamation. I've decided to at long last add the clicking of my keyboard to this pounding symphony of rebirth. It's invigorating to return to my craft and resurrect my writing schedule. Who knows, I may even decide to do something crazy - like NaNoWriMo again! Whichever way the path may turn, I am glad to have found it again.