Oh me! Oh my!

We just paid a private contractor to light our pilot lights on the furnace and hot water tank only to learn that the hot water tank is in need of first aid from a plumber. While the furnace, which is not yet needed, cooperated and now has a bright little flame burning away, eating up the natural gas, so that it will be ready to perform its duty when the temps fall enough to warrant calling on it - the hot water tank that is needed NOW - would not hold a flame.

So I dutifully sat down and in between a lot of other paper work that needed my attention, I penned a letter to our elderly land lady - whom we have not heard from even though three weeks ago I wrote her about the current difficulties her home is experiencing. I was so pleased with myself when I got it finished in time for the post, only to discover that I had misplaced my stamps.

Then last night and most of today - it has been r a i n i n g. We are keeping an eye on the basement and that fragile lonely pilot light and praying the basement stays dry, despite the city inspector advising us that the basement was in dire need of a sub pump.

With this rain - I really need to mail this letter to the land lady. So my 21 yr old son has walked to the post office, as he is almost out of gas and our town is experiencing a gas shortage right now, where he purchased lots of stamps for me. Now if I can just store them in a place safe from Elsa, who likes to use them as stickers, but be able to remember where I stored them - I will be in good shape for stamps for a while.

Did I mention it is raining? I usually like the occasional rainy days. It's a great time for homemade soup with fresh hot biscuits, or fresh hot stew and buttered white bread. Or maybe a hot chocolate with toast... but right now I can not really find the heart to enjoy these things...

That pleasant sloshy sound of tires whoshing over wet pavement has more the effect of nails on a chalk board right now - than adding to the quiet thoughtful mood that rain often puts me in. Now I sit in dread of each rain drop as it plops down on the wet pavement in front of the house and runs in little rivulets to join up with the puddles formed on our front lawn.

Oh me, oh my - it's raining.... I think I will take a nap and hope that when I wake up... it won't be raining and that the basement will still be dry. Or, maybe I will go make myself a hot chocolate and try to pretend I am enjoying the rain.

After all - whether I relax and enjoy the rain - or sit and stress about the basement...

... it will flood

... or not flood

... regardless of whether I worry ... or not.

And that is true of all worry. It has no power over any problem - only over one's sense of peace.