An exciting few days around here...some of the excitement I could have done without! Friday afternoon, I went to Dad's to play computer doc/goddess again. He came 5 minutes after I got there, that's ok...we chatted, watched the cattle get moved to a new pasture then he went back to work. Gone 5 minutes and it gets BLACK out, almost like midnight. Storms do not faze me, never have until now. I am amazed by the beauty of the changing skies, the lightening shows and the sound of thunder, even as a small girl. I would beg Dad to let me sit with him on the front porch to watch the storms. Call me dare-shedevil. Back to Friday. I'm almost done tinkering with the computer, have the filing done and am thinking about calling it a day when the power goes off for about 2 minutes and comes right back on. Ok, this is the cue to hurry up and hit the road because I'm sure the storm is worse at home, right? Just as I'm finishing up, lightening struck either the phone box or the small barn across the drive...I say one thing, Tony(neigbhor man/Dad's landlord) says another. Either way, the phone makes this weird noise and goes dead, the computer screen looks funny to me. So I dash around looking for flames or smoke, never finding any and never really smelling anything odd. I shut EVERYTHING off, something Dad never, ever does, leave him a note briefly explaining the events and then I dash off to my truck. Drive home shaking like an alcoholic going through the DT's, on the old road, leaves down everywhere, terrifying lightening and just these oppressingly dark clouds that do not seem to move. The closer I get to town, the worse the rain seems and more leaves/branches down everywhere. Today, Dad finally got the phones rewired...he called to make sure I am ok and to let me know that not only did the phone lines get BURNT in 3 places(completely severed), the TV has a funny spot on it but is watchable and his shop 'boombox' literally EXPLODED from this whatever. Our office surge protector/power strip, they took it apart and found that it was just ashes inside. YIKES!

Saturday was Liz's baby shower. Just a few close family members and friends at Aunt Becky and Uncle Tom's house. The girls were delighted to see Uncle Mike, as well as the aunts. Liz isn't really huge, but she is ALL baby. Says it's going to be a hurdler like Kurt because it kicks constantly. Hate to tell her, but that really means she'll never sit still again until the kid's in kindergarten!!

Tomato plants seem to be enjoying living in the ground...4 blossoms on 2 plants so far. Gave them 'magic water' as E calls it tonight(miracle grow for tomatoes). Can't wait to eat them!!

Have almost finished a white baby sweater by hand...first time I've really knit something with a stitch pattern throughout. Turning out nicely except I do not like how the shoulders look once stitched together. Have done it twice and cannot come up with something I deem suitable..so may be given as a gift with a rounded collar dress to hide some of it.

Another late night...lots to do tomorrow, of course.