Rural power walk and loss

I spent a lot of time walking and taking pictures of the scenery when we had our DSM loft period. Friday I decided to take my phone along for my power walk here in Creston - after all the view here can be pretty cool too.

First though, Paul and I met Steve Crittenden for lunch at the Elms Club. We hadn't seen him in well...forever! His wife Barb is the Southwestern Community College President, and the school was preparing for the Second Lady, Jill Biden's visit that night for the college graduation ceremony. The Secret Service had been here all week, scoping things out. Such excitement in Crestonia.

It was nice to get caught up with Steve. I always end up feeling a bit sad though at how his life has changed. How people affected by suicide just have that touch of sadness in their eyes. Steve and Barb's son Eric took his own life at age 19. Eric would have turned 25 in April. I remember when he was born -I worked at First National Bank with Steve then. Steve was so darn proud!

It's been a long painful road since Eric's death. Steve says life has gotten better the past couple years, but he doubts he will never experience the joy he once did. I hope he's wrong - that it gets better and better for Steve and his family. After all he and Barb still have beautiful and smart daughter Kayli - and who knows, maybe grandkids someday.

After lunch I read my book on the deck. Lovely afternoon. Then I couldn't put it off any longer - I needed to walk off those giant cookies from my Iowa City trip, and that homemade cake from Joan's neighbor Paul (who is like 70, but I think he has a crush on Joan).

I did my usual route - up through Calvary - the Catholic cemetery. I like the quiet there. Then I head up the road next to Summit Lake, that isn't really a lake right now since the dam got iffy and they drained the lake to fix it. Looks like it's about done so Deb, Paul and I will be able to kayak there again.

These horses weren't quite sure they wanted me looking at them. I liked the looks of the gray. Then I headded to the street that goes by Todd and Lori Scott's house. It was one that took major damage from the tornado. Bobbie and Jeff were there tornado night when Paul called and got Bobbie on the phone, right after we heard about the storm. Scott's house was pretty devastated (just like they were). Bobbie said the fam was in shock really. Workers were there yesterday fixing the roof and walls.

This last photo is of a house we looked at twice and really thought about purchasing. It had an old not-working in ground pool - they must have jackhammered that out. The lot to the east was also a part of the property then. The house and barn needed a lot of work and was out of our price range. Plus it had lots of steps. I'm glad we waited and got the house we live in now.

the middle place by Kelly Corrigan and other stuff

We read this tome (I was using the word book too much in this sentence) for Book Chicks Book Club. It's about a women dealing with being a wife, motherhood and being a daughter. Then she discovers she has breast cancer, and her dad finds out his prostate cancer has come back as bladder cancer.

I read the book over a weekend. I liked the author's writing style and the book drew me in. A couple sections drew me in - this part, two sentences that capture my feelings exactly on faith.

Page 203 -
"I envy my dad his faith. I envy all people who have someone to beseech, who know where they're going, who sleep under the fluffy white comforter of belief."

I also liked how the author wasn't afraid to be hard on herself - her weaknesses. She called herself out on a couple of them. Still she totally idolizes her father - to a point that I found to be a bit over the top for an adult woman. But hey, maybe my dad was just kinda fabulous, unlike Big Greenie.

I'm looking forward to discussion of this book with my bookie friends!

• Sunday I finally got some girl time with my BFF Deb. Since the hardware store that doubles at a pseudo starbucks in Creston is closed for tornado repairs, we went to McD for Latte- and hardly came up for a breath. And we didn't even get to politics, baby! But we covered a lot of territory - our vacation, both works, Keith's bride-to-be's bridal shower, Jud's up-coming move, Kara's new apartment, Brett and Shawna's visit, Paul's job experience, Amy's big win at Once Upon a Race in Denver, plus Kitty's unfortunate demise - and of course tornado stories. When I dropped her off at her house nearly 2 hours later - we both did a big sigh of satisfaction. It was good!
• I got to have breakfast with most of my homies this a.m. Nan is in Arizona (with Jim) being unemployed. She works at the hospital which you may recall is a shambles - take heart Nancy, the Servicemaster crews are there in force! Diana was not there either - not sure if she and Donnie are still at the lake (or if she even went). It was reported that Lucy was quilting this weekend. Susan had photos from daughter Lindsay's bachelorette party here in DSM. Looked like a good time was had by all. Patti told us about all the volunteers from around the state who showed up to help clean up at her brother-in-law's place (wiped out by tornado). Boy Scouts from Onawa - where the Scout Camp was hit, and a church group, complete with chain saws. It gave me chills to hear about people coming all that way to help. Bobbie reported that her Mom Grace is back in the hospital - she suffered a heart attack recently, and was having chest pains again. Scary!
• I got my hair cut today - phew! Sarah cut those wings off the sides - lets hope I can get it under control now. After work I put on my walking shoes and took a walk around the Capitol, around through the East Village. It's just not the same without my Pablo and my little black wiener dog waiting for me on East Court Street. sniff sniff...
• I moved my shi*, um stuff back into Joan's. I never really asked her if she was ready for all that. Regardless - here I am. I need to settle back into Waukee - get back into my routine. I feel so fortunate to have a pal like Joanie willing to take in a vagabond like me.

Finally...home again

We are finally home in Creston. It's such a relief! We'd been pouring over photos, videos and written accounts of the storm and aftermath. Now we can see it for ourselves, and talk to those who lived through it.

It seems to be almost like grief. I believe re-telling of trauma can be therapeutic. We heard some stories last night at The Lobby when we met Bobbie, Jeff and Deb (Larry was in Iowa City covering Collin Bevins for the New Advertiser at a wrestling superstar thing) for a drink and pizza (ordered in from nearby A&G).

• Bobbie and Jeff said the actual tornado was over in scant seconds - B ran to get her purse before going downstairs. When she got to the top of the stairs, it was over! Jeff says she should leave the damn purse - next time. They live just west of the hospital complex and after the storm, they ventured that direction to see where debris that had hit their house and yard had come from (a picture frame flew through their garage window and their yard was scattered with someone's belongings and treelimbs). After driving over some downed power lines, they saw the firetruck pull up to the hospital, and decided to go west to get to neighbors to the south.
• Upon arrival, they found the Scott family, whose home was hit, in stunned shock but okay physically. Windows were broken and part of the roof gone from their beautiful home. Jeff said the walls were coated with leaves and grass. People began to show up with tarps right away. Folks went about securing things as best they could.
• Deb told the story of a track coach for Creston High School, Pat Schlapia. He's a bit of a throwback when it comes to technology, so Saturday after evening Mass, he went to the middle school to make copies of results from Friday night's Panther Relays for Deb's sports news guy husband. Whilst in the school, a tornado hits! He heard debris flying, the heat/air units fly off the roof. When he arrived back at his Ford truck parked a the curb - the back window is gone due to flying debris - but he drives to Peterson's house with papers. When they see his truck, all dented and battered they're wondering about his sanity!
• Jeff and Bobbie's neighbors, Dave and Sharon Moffitt watched their pool cover take off like a parachute when the tornado passed. They looked at each other in awe. Moffitts now have 3 college students living at their home. (The college dorms were pretty beat up by the twister). We all agreed that those students won't likely do anything during their stay that Moffitts 4 daughters (now grown up) didn't already think of...
• Jon Carroll was taking a hot bath when the twister hit, while Roxanne escaped to the basement. He agreed that it would have been embarrassing to be naked if the house was wiped out, but said he'd heard the tub was a safe place to be. He says he may take to the basement next time.  
• Dennis Leith suffered the devastating loss of his log home - a place with a lot of history to his family. He grew up there, and raised his family there. The family hosted football fundraisers in the barn (now gone) and class reunions were held there, complete with live band according to my roomie, Joan. A desk in the home (250 lb!) was missing in action. The storm wiped out huge beautiful trees around the home. Dennis vows to rebuild.
• I quickly read through storm coverage in the Creston News Advertiser when we arrived home yesteray. Several of the stories and accounts touched me, but the column by Creston School Superintenent Tim Hood (he's a gruff kinda guy who isn't naturally grateful) makes my eyes well up - even now when I think of it. I would link it if I could figure out how, but I'll have to paraphrase.

"I can't find words to express how proud I am to be associated with this staff, student body and this community. There has been a tremendous outpouring of support for our district...by (those groups) and by surrounding areas. Throughout the cleanup people kept showing up with buckets, rakes, tractors, skid-loaders, dump trucks and more importantly with a spirit to help.

We have received calls from neighboring districts, various colleges, community groups, as well as the Salvation Army and the Red Cross with offers of assistance. ...FEMA officials were incredulous that so many people came to help in such a short time span. Well folks - that's the Midwest, that's Iowa that's CRESTON.

(Someone asked) "Why are so many people here?" ...the answer is we are a family. "Panther Pride" was on public display for the state to see, and we've done ourselves proud.

There's no way we can thank every person who helped after the disaster....many came and slipped quietly away without fanfare....
He goes on to thank the officials like fire, emergency responders, utility workers etc.

The response of my community to this disaster just makes me so darn proud. Bobbie said Todd and Lori Scott were so surprised at how many people showed up at their house to help them - people they didn't really know or consider "friends". It brings back memories of when our baby Patrick died.

People are so generous by nature - my faith in humanity is restored. Temporarily, anyway.   

Creston's Challenge

I didn't realize what a computer hoarder Paul G. Goldsmith had become...snivel, sniff. While I'm relegated to my smart phone and Nook - unable to blog on vacation. But that's okay - I didn't come here to be tethered to my computer. That's why I left it at home.

Today Paul and Cindy are on their last walk. I stayed home to do some laundry (and snuck the computer). I didn't want to do the "this is my last walk of the year" walk anyway. It's another gorgeous day in paradise. Paul and I have spent the past day and a half pouring over storm coverage from Creston - where a tornado hit in our absence!

So thankful nobody was killed or seriously injured in the storm. (And that it didn't hit our house - Lila, the dog-sitter checked it out). The thing did strike just a mile north - on my usual walk path, near the Country Club neighborhood and our hospital, college - all on the NW side of town. Many friends make their living at the hospital - It makes me sad they have been impacted so greatly - but again, in the big picture, no lives were lost and things can be replaced and fixed.

Saturday night all we had were some reports on Facebook, and Paul talked to Bobbie who along with Jeff was helping tarp the roof at the Scott home. The photos posted on various sources since then are so compelling. Here we are in paradise, and our town has been ravaged!
DSM Register Photo Gallery
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=D2&Dato=20120415&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=204150802&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1

I'm ready to head home. I'm sure I'll be full of regrets once I get there, but a worker bee can only be decadent, eating, drinking and doing nothing worthwhile for so long. It's been fun - hanging with Cindy, and Colby earlier in the week. But my home beckons. People there are strong and resourceful. They aren't waiting for outsiders to show up and fix things. (Even though the Gov did tour yesterday - see Register photos - showing our pal DON Gwen Buck, followed by our neighbor Hospital Administrator Monte Neitzel).

Creston will be back, baby - better than ever.