Country Folks Can Survive

At around 1300 on 16 April, Zeke cozied up on the couch to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs while I went to our bedroom and curled up with Liam for a little nap.  As I dozed in and out of consciousness, I noticed the audio of the game suddenly no longer spouted out the details of a charged up Power Play; our local meteorologist had the floor.  We knew the severe storms sweeping across the plains were on their way to us, but naps and hockey are about as high on the priority list as you can get, and we weren’t going to be fazed.  Zeke poked his head in to let me know there were four tornado warnings in our region; I asked him if we should head for the closet, bathroom, or laundry, and he said not to worry just yet.  

I continued to toe the line between Here and Dreamland for a few moments longer when the wind picked up and the room darkened considerably.  I collected Liam (who, mind you, remained blissfully oblivious to the outside world, still being in Mama’s Arms) and planted ourselves on the couch with Zeke to watch developments.  Tornado warnings in Lee County for the next two hours.  Widespread high winds, rain, hail, and debris expected.  Seek shelter immediately.  Within a few minutes, our power was out.  Then a blinding flash of lightning with a BOOM on its heels.  Still for some reason unconcerned, we sat down to a late lunch and watched the rain come in.  And while the thanatos in me wishes I could share some first-hand horror story with you, I’m so thankful that I can say we had nothing more than a typical rainstorm in our yard.  The rain came fast and hard, but no more severe than a regular afternoon storm (as Zeke said to me, it rained yesterday as hard as it did on Tornado Day).

The storm passed and the silence of our home was pleasant but deafening in its own right.  You never realize just how much noise you’re willing to live with until the buzz and hum of appliances and technology no longer operate in your space.

While all we missed out on was the luxury of electricity, others within moments of our house lost clean water, shelter, clothing, the sentimental mementos by which we define ourselves.  

And across the state of North Carolina, the current toll is a tragic loss of 24 lives.  As Liam and I walked through the Wal-Mart parking lot a few days ago, a little boy looked at him and me and then up to his dad, and he said as he tugged on his dad’s sleeve, “Daddy, did you hear there was a little baby that was taken from his Grandpa’s arms?  That the tornado just took him away?  His Grandpa couldn’t do nuthin’ about it, he just cried.”  I learned that a local business here in Sanford was missing two of its large metal signs – signs which were recently recovered between 35 and 50 miles north in Cary and Raleigh.  Our letter carrier Beverly lost much of her home and belongings and her cousin lost everything.  They’ve been searching for whatever lost clothing they can find in the woods behind where their homes used to be.  And to make matters worse, Beverly said folks are now looting the damaged areas, stealing whatever isn’t nailed down.  As if the people devastated by the storm hadn’t already been hurt enough.

Liam and I drove through Sanford the other day to capture some pictures and video to be able to share with you what our community has experienced.  It’s one thing to hear or read about something like this kind of natural disaster; it’s another to see it.  If you feel like donating to any organizations this year, I can vouch for the American Red Cross and Salvation Army, whose mobile units were stationed in local parking lots this week handing out necessities to anyone who requested them.  Donations are always appreciated and accepted, and help is always needed.

Footage of damage on Horner Blvd., including the destroyed Lowe's Home Improvement Store in Sanford:

My heart goes out to all those hurt by the storms.  But my spirits were lifted on our drive as I saw homeowners, young and old, out in their yards, clearing the debris and trying to reclaim their homesteads.  I watched an elderly woman gently brush off her rose bushes – a beautiful, elegant burst of color amidst a yard of sheer wreckage.  A few blocks down, a young woman was blowing small branches and scraps of drywall out of her driveway, and I watched as she walked over to the next yard without a second thought to perform the same services for her neighbor unaware. 

’Cause you can’t starve us out and you can’t make us run . . . 

Country folks can survive. 

~good ole’ Hank Williams, Jr. 

An Officer And A Gentleman

I’d like everyone to meet our new lieutenant, 2LT Michael S. Kelly.  After a grueling 12 weeks of Officer Candidate School (OCS) classes, field operations, combatives, and overall unfun military grunt training, Zeke went down to Georgia a Staff Sergeant and has come out on the other side an officer, graduating in the top of his class.  When Liam and I went down to visit him about halfway through OCS, I quickly learned just how much Zeke’s peers appreciated him.  Everyone I met told me how much they learned from Zeke and how helpful he was, offering his experience and wisdom of 6+ years of service.  The positive impact Zeke had on and the camaraderie he developed with his classmates proves he’s chosen the right path.  And seeing the way his superiors embraced and supported his decision is an even greater testament.  I could not be more proud of him.  

When he joined the Army back in 2004, I don’t think he was expecting his career to follow the path it has taken.  But I also don’t think he ever expected to find himself married to The Most Fabulous Wife On Earth or be blessed with Sir Cuteness for a son… or be moving to GERMANY!   Was this part of any original plan we had in our lives?  No.  But the fun stuff never really is.  Just check your calendars:  "Dentist appointment, 2 June at 1100."  "Parent-teacher conference, 30 April at 1900."  I can hardly contain my excitement.

You know that game you play with yourself – "Five years ago, would I have ever imagined this path is the one I would be traveling?"  We’re venturing into much more exciting and uncharted territory than I ever would have thought.  Thank goodness for free will and the prerogative to follow your guts, even if you’re changing horses in mid-stream.  And thank goodness that Zeke is strong and motivated enough to dedicate his life to serving our country and defending our freedom to grow, change, and exist as Americans (anywhere in the world!)

On the way to Georgia for Daddy's graduation

Checking his blind spot -- such a responsible little man

Liam ist ein Jahr alt!

So I know he turned one year old more than a month ago, but Liam celebrated his big milestone with such class that I just had to share.  Liam and I had a low-key and relaxing recognition of his big day at home together, and then two days later we high-tailed it down to good ole’ Ft. Benning, GA, to see Daddy and have a real celebration with him.  In this military life, we seldom get to be together on birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays.  It’s helped us develop a completely new appreciation for quality time – it’s no longer the date that matters, but the chance to celebrate together whenever we can.  We were lucky with Liam’s birthday, being that we could spend time together so close to his turning “ein Jahr alt.”

If you like the look of the cake, here’s my recipe.  It’s a carrot cake suited for Liam’s oh-so-sophisticated palette – and let me tell you, even cake haters will love it.

Ingredients

2 ½ c sliced carrots

2 ¼ c apple juice 

1 ½ c raisins (or any other small dried fruit you want to throw in there)

2 c whole wheat flour

½ c wheat germ

2 T bkg powder

1 T cinnamon
½ c veggie oil

2 eggs

4 egg whites

1 T vanilla

¾ c applesauce (no sugar added)

1 c chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans recommended)

Method of Preparation (MOP)

1.      Throw carrots and 1 c of the apple juice together in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 5-minute intervals, testing carrots for tenderness periodically.  Once carrots achieve desired tenderness, pour carrots and any remaining juice into food processor and blend until smooth(ish).

2.     Add dried fruit and blend until finely chopped.  Let mixture cool.

3.     Combine flour, wheat germ, bkg powder, and cinnamon in large mixing bowl.  Add oil, eggs, egg whites, vanilla, and 1 ¼ c apple juice.  Beat just until well mixed.  Add carrot puree and applesauce.

4.     Pour batter into lightly greased/floured/sugared 13x9 pan.  Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the batter; press lightly to help nuts nestle into the batter.

5.     Bake in 350F oven for 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

6.     While this cake is incredibly moist and fabulous on its own, feel free to ruin the uber-healthy nature of the cake with some delicious cream cheese frosting.

You Say Goodbye; I Say Hello

Some exciting news to christen this blog of ours: We are moving to Europe. Destination Bamberg, Germany. We are stoked. Big adjustment? Certainly. Crazy unknown future? Of course. But seriously, how could this news be anything other than wonderful? I know, I know, you’re thinking, “But how can I survive without you? How will I go on another day knowing you guys won’t be in the blessed haven of Sanford, North Carolina, the refuge where all rational humans would love to reside?” Well, maybe that’s a bit extreme. But as your eyes blur with tears while you fight to read the rest of the entry, take comfort in the fact that now you have your chance to see the world! Whether you visit via the virtual yet intimate view of Europe that we’ll provide on here or by hopping on a plane and coming to see us in person, consider the Kellys your gateway to the world.

We are expecting to set this circus down in Europe NLT October or November of this year, depending on Zeke’s training schedule here on American soil. In the coming weeks and months, life will be full of confusion and chaos as we put our home on the market, consolidate and pack our lives into military-approved boxes, and start practicing our Deutsch-speak. By the way, if you’re looking for a fabulous home right in the heart of NC, let us know. Plus we’ll be posting a list on here of things we plan to sell once we realize just how little we’ll be able to fit in a 1000-sq.-ft. German apartment.

And here’s your first German lesson: You say Auf Wiedersehen; we say Guten Tag! What a fabulous adventure we have in store…