Thankfully Fay never developed into a hurricane, however this is one storm system that is totally head over palm trees in love with Florida. She wants to visit every city and town and definitely is showing signs of never wanting to leave. The upside of her visit here is that it is waking us up from the state of complacency that last year’s quiet hurricane season lulled us into.

It has helped us prepare. Not just physically but mentally. Being under a ‘storm watch’ is much like riding the ‘Scream Machine’ at Six Flags.

One minute you are packing up the car beneath blue skies, to head out to teach school, the next minute you are calling your mother in law to pick up your daughter because an intense squall is about to come in and she is home alone.

You are checking the weather channel every ten minutes. Not to mention the local stations and waiting to hear about closings, sandbag pick up points, and tornado watches.

Tornadoes. That is the one thing I hate.hate.hate. about hurricanes. They always bring their friends – tornadoes – along for the ride. You can prepare for a hurricane. But a tornado. Not so much.

And so today, we are living on the edge. I have canceled appointments ‘just in case’. I am hoarding food and water ‘just in case’. I am looking at next week and ruminating over Plan A and Plan B ‘just in case’. I am definitely moving the hurricane supply kit from the garage into our walk in closet for the duration of hurricane season ‘just in case’.

There is a bright spot about ‘living on the edge’ during hurricane season. It keeps you home. It finds you reading that stack of library books that you checked out ‘just in case’. It has you taking the activities that you’ve gathered together ‘just in case the power goes out’ for a trial run. It keeps you not only working together as a family but playing together as a family. And although Miss Sam would wholeheartedly disagree….I am glad there are no ‘hurricane days’ when being homeschooled. Every day is a school day. And I don’t have to be anxious about her being able to ‘get home’ before the storm hits.

When Fay finally decides to leave our state we will have successfully had our refresher course on the ‘ups and downs’ of the roller coaster ride that comes with living in the Sunshine state during hurricane season.

The next one won’t be quite as physically and mentally trying as we have had our trial run.

Many thanks to all of you who commented on my Daybook post and lifted our state up in prayer. You are the best!!!