Heatwave!

Regardless of where we live, we must contend with some undesirable aspect of that region's climate. In the Northeast, you have blizzards, nor' easters, and Atlantic hurricanes. The Midwest runs the gamut of climatic events: tornadoes, blizzards, flooding, drought, excessive cold or heat. In the South, one must endure high humidity from the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf Coast and high heat in the summer months.

In Texas, it is not unusual for summers to be excessively hot, but only in certain regions. However, this year, much of the state is baking under a long-lasting heatwave that has left our yards parched, and every living creature thirsty for water and cool relief. Even the smallest of creatures, ants, gravitate towards swimming pools seeking water, only to drown in the very element all of us need to survive. I have seen wild-growing bushes and small trees around my property drooping for want of water, my lawn looking more like burnt straw, and the outdoor thermometer hitting above 100F almost everyday for over a month. Being an Ohio native, I'm not bred for this type of heat, so this type of weather is hard on me. My son is more tolerant, but when you have triple-digit temps, it is not safe for anyone to play outside. Can you image how antsy my 4-year-old is being made to remain indoors most of the day?

I have been told that we are in a severe drought. I'm not surprised. Many crops are failing and the water level is dropping like a rock. If you're in an area where you are getting much cooler temperatures and plenty of rain, count your blessings. In many ways, I'd rather have an abundance of water than the opposite. I'd rather have temps in the 70's than in the 100's. If you feel otherwise, would you care to switch places?

Whirlwinds

Whirlwinds come in many different forms literally and figuratively. In my case, it is figuratively, in the form of stress. It has been some time since I last made an entry here; life has a way of sending you on detours before you can return to the main road. Since last October, much has happened that has left me physically and mentally drained. Ironically, much of my stress comes from home life, not work. I found work to be an escape from the events sapping my energy:

From November and into the first week of June, my son became ill for 1-3 days every month, with February being the worst. He missed 13 days of school due to a perceived case of measles. He had only had the first dose of his MMR vaccine, so there was a small chance that he was among the 5% of the U.S. population that requires a second dose to be fully immunized from measles, mumps, and rubella. While caring for him, I came down with a mild case of the flu and missed 7 days of work--without sick leave, as it had been used up by the end of January. A few weeks prior to getting his rash, he had spiked a fever that sent him to the emergency room with a body temperature of 104.7. After repeated contact with the school nurse and the Texas Dept. of Health, as well as the local lab that sent his bloodwork to Virginia for analysis, it was determined that he had a viral rash, not measles. By the time this was figured out, he was fully over his condition.

Currently, we have a new crisis (it never ends). My husband went into business for himself as an owner-operator truck driver in late May. While he went into his truck lease at a good time, he's had terrible luck, so far, at keeping his business in the black. Since mid-June, he has been in the negative, leaving nothing to send home to pay household expenses. Having 3 rig repairs and his regular dispatcher on vacation for a full week did not help his situation. As the bills continue to pile up, I now swallow my pride to ask my church for help, which they have; although, they could not assist at the level they would like. It is a small congregation, so funds are not plentiful. I will be applying for medicaid for my son and emergency food stamps to keep our food supply from dwindling too far. While I do have my own salary, it is not sufficient to support the family without supplementation. I loathe asking for help of this nature, but I have little choice now.

Despite the current events, our son continues to thrive. I look forward to the next school year, when he begins school as a full-time student. Most 4-year-olds are 1/2 day, but since our boy remains in special education, he will still have PPCD (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities); however, he has also been promoted to mainstream pre-K. In the course of the last school year, he accomplished about 58 out of 60 goals set for him and mastered a few more that were set for next year!

One would think that this summer break would be a chance to relax, but the whirlwind continues to spin on. Amid trying to keep our household in order, it takes great effort to keep an autistic child occupied. With help from family, he has gymnastics, swimming, and daycare to fill his days. I do get a break from my duties 3 nights per week when my mother-in-law takes our son for overnight stays. When I do have down time, I get to pursue my hobby: genealogical research. I have done the family tree of a friend, as well as my own, with startling results, but the details are for another post.

I leave this update at this point. I have a night off tonight. Time to relax a bit.