I've Been Better

Oh, the weekend we've had. On Saturday, we discovered that our storage had been flooded. We're talking flash flooded. Where did the water come from? a mystery considering we haven't had enough rain/snow to do this kind of damage in the last six months. When? another mystery, short enough ago that everything was still water logged and long enough ago to grow mold on most of the boxes and a good portion of some of my most treasured posessions. I have never experienced anything like it. My first grim discovery, my prom dresses. I burst into tears. Later I would rejoice that my favorite was saved and also the dress I wore to my sister's wedding. The Childcraft Encyclopedia set from my childhood that my Mother gave me for "safe keeping" was the next casualty. I couldn't take it, I didn't want to go through anything else. But, I had to. Next I opened another box of books. My Martha Stewart Weddings book soaked through with furry mold trim. This was getting personal. Almost all of my cookbooks and so many of my knitting books, destroyed by simple water. If you know me, you know that losing my beautiful books is similar to getting my heart ripped out. I did not own paperbacks and such, but hardbacks with exquisite covers and photos. My floral bible, minimal damage. My children's books, slightly warped from the damp. My temple block print, SAVED! My mother's wedding dress, SAVED! (barely) Wait, where was my wedding dress?!, call to Mom, tucked away safe and secure at my Mother's house. Prayers of gratitude. The poster and copy of Utah Bride & Groom Magazine with my 15 minutes of fame from 2001, destroyed, more tears. My prom yearbook, destroyed. I am numb and press on, telling myself, no one's life is involved, these are just THINGS. Boardgames, more than dead. Panic sets in when I discover a very wet shadow box containing mine and PBTB's newborn photos. More prayers of gratitude when I realize they were just copies. All of PBTB's baseball cards from his childhood, one of his most prized posessions, destroyed. My Carol P. Harding print, destoyed. My second favorite temple print, destroyed. My only copy of my college graduation announcement, destroyed. My needlepoint "P" from Mom the year I was born, looks ok, smells disgusting. We've done countless loads of laundry, haunted by the smell of mildew, is it gone? I think I can still smell it. If the question hasn't already entered your mind. Yes, all of our furniture got wet about 2 inches up. It can hopefully all be salvaged, but my stomach turns over and again when I think of the furniture PBTB's made. Our dining room set and the Armoire he gave me as a wedding present. It makes me sick that he might even have to refinish them. Your next question, did we have insurance? No. Do I care? No. Money cannot replace these things. This is my life. And then, today PBTB encounters dead baby mice in my box of craft items. I am TERRIFIED of mice. I cannot take this. I can't stop shuddering as I type. So, my answer to the general question "How are you doing?"......"I've been better".