5/24/11

Just Pull The Blanket Over Your Head

Last Summer's Beach Blanket
Today's sunny, breezy, warmish weather paired with a porch project involving outdoor string lights reminded me that summer is almost, almost here. It took me back to last summer's family vacation to Destin, FL and the perfect afternoon Ruby, Brett and I had the day before we went home.

Last Summer's Beach Blanket
I made this beach blanket out of some of my favorite vintage sheets the week before we left for that trip, sewing late into the night to make sure it was finished before we boarded the plane the next morning! It is soft and light for summer days but nice and large so the whole family can fit on it.

Last Summer's Beach Blanket
Today, however, I just wanted to crawl under it and hide from tornadoes. Joplin, MO is only an hour up the road from us and was completely devastated by an F5 tornado earlier this week. I couldn't stop reading tweets about it and checking news sites for the latest information. Then I got a phone call from my mom this afternoon saying they were corralling everyone at her school into the safe room and that she loved me. I could hear the adrenaline in her voice and started calling the rest of the family in OK to see what they knew.

I called my dad who was on the road coming back from a work event and passed along the message from Mom that he shouldn't drive any further North. I don't think he paid any attention to that because he ended up in the basement of a hospital pretty close to their home. I couldn't reach them for awhile so I called my grandparents to get news updates and stayed glued to Twitter and online news sites.

I called my Meemaw when Brett told me one of the tornadoes was headed towards her town and she told me she was headed to the closet. It skipped her town and headed to Shawnee, the town we went to college in and still have good friends in. Then I heard it was headed to Ada and called my grandparents again to check on them.

A little later and another tornado was headed towards the Dallas area, which makes sense, BECAUSE THAT'S NEAR WHERE THE REST OF MY SIDE OF THE FAMILY LIVES. I felt like a crazy woman! Thankfully, all were safe at the end of the day. Except as I type it's the end of the day and the storms are headed to Springfield. Awesome.

I'm so thankful for the safety of my family after seeing the devastation in Joplin. I will forever take tornado warnings and sirens more seriously. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers today as I shared my concern for family on Twitter. My heart goes out to those who have sad stories to tell.

I'm off to hide under my blanket until I hear either the sirens or the sound of a four year old saying he's ready for breakfast.

xoxo,
Rachel
at

37 comments:

  1. Nellie MaeMay 24, 2011 at 11:55 PM

    Oh Rachel! It is just so devastating--if you are familiar with Joplin, seeing it from the ground level is so unbelievable compared to what is on the news. It is INSANE!

    Check out my blog for some photos, my story and other updates about the storms.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MirandaMay 25, 2011 at 12:05 AM

    I've been reading twitter and facebook updates from people in those areas, and its just scary. So scary that its close to you and your family, and I hope that these storms pass soon.

    Praying for you and those in Joplin.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMay 25, 2011 at 12:15 AM

    yikes! wishing you and your WHOLE FAMILY lots of hugs and deep breaths...

    ReplyDelete
  4. RachelDenbowMay 25, 2011 at 12:17 AM

    Nellie Mae,

    Just read your posts on the devastation of your mom's apt. and how little sleep you've had because of everything that needs doing. I can't even imagine. Hoping for some rest and a chance to be distracted by something much lighter very soon.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ::The Beetle Shack::May 25, 2011 at 12:20 AM

    how frightening, i can only imagine how you must feel. I am a school teacher (as i assume your mum is) and we once had flash flooding here on the NSW, Central Coast (australia). A school hall filled with 700 school kids with no power for the night was frightening.

    I'm glad to hear your family is okay- i'll check back for the rest of the story. Be safe.

    em xo

    ReplyDelete
  6. MalaykaMay 25, 2011 at 1:02 AM

    Oh I know how you feel. We had a tornado rip through the mall just ten minutes down the road from my house a few weeks ago (in New Zealand). Thankfully only one person was killed but it was scary, and strange to see the damage it did. It was still way too soon after the awful earthquake we had as well. Hopefully everything settles down for you guys over there.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sarah MMay 25, 2011 at 2:09 AM

    Thinking about you, Rachel.

    ReplyDelete
  8. KreatetenMay 25, 2011 at 3:55 AM

    Sounds like a very long nightmare! I hope that you and your family stays safe. I just heard the news on the radio and they said more tornados where in your area.
    Here in Denmark we do not have tornados or eathquakes...so its hard to relate to...

    Best wishes!

    ReplyDelete
  9. andrea createsMay 25, 2011 at 5:27 AM

    oh, it is so scary.i had to race home and hide in the basement during a warning the other day.
    glad you're safe-love the blanket!

    ReplyDelete
  10. CharisMay 25, 2011 at 5:35 AM

    Hi Rachel, didn't realise that the weather was so bad up there. Hope you & your family made it through the night safe xxx

    ReplyDelete
  11. kit and nancy.May 25, 2011 at 7:17 AM

    stay safe! your blanket is beautiful. take care under that blanket! xo

    ReplyDelete
  12. margotMay 25, 2011 at 8:11 AM

    Wow, Very glad your family is safe. thinking of all those going through a hard time...xoxoox.

    ReplyDelete
  13. robinMay 25, 2011 at 8:21 AM

    I looked up on a map just to see if you were close to joplin hoping your entire family was ok...glad to see this post rachel... be safe

    ReplyDelete
  14. ThomasinaMay 25, 2011 at 9:09 AM

    I totally understand. I live about 6 blocks from the F5 that came through Tuscaloosa. I saw the funnel as I was running to the storm shelter. Tornadoes are definitely terrifying. No damage, but it was definitely scary.

    ReplyDelete
  15. ElizabethMay 25, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    So scary and sobering. I hope your family members and loved ones are safe.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    This is my family's first year in MO (we're in Springfield), and we've been bombarded with calls and emails about our safety. I definitely pay attention to those sirens too. A friend from my church went to high school in Joplin, and when she went to help clean up on Sunday night, she didn't recognize a thing.

    ReplyDelete
  17. GingiberMay 25, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    Oh Rachel, I am right there with you wanting to pull a blanket over my head. Tornadoes my greatest fear, and the weather has had me on edge for days! I have been so unproductive, glued to the news and checking for updates on Joplin survivors. So happy your Oklahoma family is safe!

    ReplyDelete
  18. letter A studioMay 25, 2011 at 10:18 AM

    We have family in Missouri & Illinois & pray for their safety constantly. It's heartbraking to see such devastation. For now our family is all safe, but we saw last night that storms are headed right for their cities. We just keep praying.

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 10:33 AM

    Rachel, I'm so sorry to hear about the destruction and terror around you. This tornado season has been indescribable--it seems as though no one, nowhere, is safe. Thinking of you and yours.

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnaMay 25, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    Wishing you and your family stay safe, and for all of this horrible weather to end. Your blanket is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Stephanie LoudmouthMay 25, 2011 at 10:56 AM

    You poor thing, I pray that you and everyone you know stays safe!

    ReplyDelete
  22. breanna roseMay 25, 2011 at 11:13 AM

    I am SO happy you and your family are okay. I cannot believe the weather down there! We usually get some bad storms up in Minnesota as well, but nothing so repetitive on a daily basis like these. jeez!

    The night of the Joplin storm I saw your tweets about em and kept refreshing to make sure you tweeted you were safe! :)

    xx Bre

    ReplyDelete
  23. jungle dream pagodaMay 25, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    The tornado was all around us(literally) in Dallas ...but somehow we escaped it didn't even blow our electricity like it usually does! We wee very lucky! Stay safe and put lots of pillows in the tub if you don't have a basement!
    Love the beach blanket we are headed to Sea-side (right before ya get to Destin)as soon as school is out!

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 11:43 AM

    What a horribly tense day. I've been glued to the news, too. Much love to you and yours.

    ReplyDelete
  25. gaMay 25, 2011 at 1:34 PM

    Glad to hear your family is safe! At our house we ended up not getting anything other than rain or wind, but hail busted out the windshield and sunroof of one of my in-laws cars. I've never seen the weather this bad over such a long period of time. Hopefully things will start clearing up as we reach the summer!

    ReplyDelete
  26. SaraMay 25, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    First, that blanket is beautiful!

    Second, I'm so glad you and yours are okay. We had crazy tornados here in St. Louis recently and I completely understand feeling as if you'll take sirens and such more seriously now. Seems as if there are more tornados than ever and they are ever more devastating. Wishing that they'll fade away soon!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Sécia MischkeMay 25, 2011 at 2:14 PM

    Wow! Love that blanket by the way.

    ♥ sécia
    www.petiteinsanities.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 4:35 PM

    oh man! im sorry that you've been running around like that!

    I live in Puerto Rico, so the only thing we get here are hurricanes. Ive never experienced a tornado before, but I can only imagine that its terrifying! My best friend lives in Tennessee, and just texted me this morning saying they had tornado warnings for her side of town too.

    My prayers go out to your fam and every one thats living on the edge with all these tornado warnings!

    ReplyDelete
  29. CourtneyMay 25, 2011 at 11:03 PM

    That is really scary. Glad to hear that all of your loved ones are safe. On a happier note, the beach blanket is awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  30. KimMay 26, 2011 at 6:21 AM

    my thoughts are with you and family!

    ReplyDelete
  31. LauriMay 26, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    I first learned of the tornado from one of your tweets....glad you and your family are safe. My husband too rolls his eyes at me when I start getting worried about storms, but he stops when I start searching for flashlights and thinking of safety kits etc...
    Linus carries around a security blanket for a reason...your's just happens to be hip!

    ReplyDelete
  32. HappyinthehibiscusMay 26, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    Thinking of you, and sending positive thoughts that everyone will be alright!

    ReplyDelete
  33. AnonymousMay 26, 2011 at 3:07 PM

    oh my, this sounds so devastating and frightening! i can't really imagine what the things you and all the other people from the midwest are going through because in my part of the world (europe) there are hardly ever any natural catastrophes. i sure am praying for you

    ReplyDelete
  34. suzanneMay 26, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    So happy to hear that the fam is all safe. Sending lots of love and continued prayer from Fresno. :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. BEESTLYproductsMay 26, 2011 at 10:23 PM

    good to hear everyone is safe, tornadoes seem creepy. on a lighter note, the beach blanket is adorable and you are the only person besides myself whom i have ever heard use the term "meemaw". haha,

    ReplyDelete
  36. EleniMay 27, 2011 at 8:14 AM

    Oh, I was thinking of you the other day when I heard about the tornadoes in the States! So glad to hear your loved ones are safe. Long may it stay that way x

    ReplyDelete
  37. AnonymousMay 27, 2011 at 2:48 PM

    It just baffles me the damage that can happen in such a short amount of time. I have lived in Oklahoma my whole life and have been lucky enough never to have lost everything but I have known others who have. It hurts my heart for a city that size or any size to just be gone. I hope that help and recovery and rebuilding will come quickly for Joplin and the towns in Oklahoma who were hit.

    ReplyDelete