Blown Away--Almost

I don't recall if I've mentioned it (and yes, am too lazy to scroll through all of my postings to find out) before, but since the end of August, my kids, hubby and I have been sleeping out on the upper deck. We have a queen air mattress out there and two futons. When we started, we just needed sleeping bags. As the months have progressed, however, we have added several layers as the temp drops.

It has truly been a rewarding experience. Being a "city girl", just sleeping out in a tent was all new to me. I enjoyed it though. I have to say that I like this better, however. I'm still close to the bathroom and if anything annoying arrives, like bugs or rain, I can quickly go inside. So far, that has only happened three times--and each one was rain. We just don't have bugs at our house.

It has somewhat transformed going to bed. I am not a morning person--I like the late night hours. However, going to bed is such a pleasure now, that I look forward to it. The air mattress is actually more comfortable than our regular bed. I love going out and feeling that sharp chill against my skin and then diving under the blankets. It reminds me of when I was a kid and I slept in an icy cold room (because it was where the house air conditioner was) and I was under tons of covers. Delicious.

So we are enjoying the adventure greatly. Last night, as has happened a couple of times before, we were hit with a wind storm. The back of our yard is lined with tall trees, pine and otherwise. When the wind comes, you can hear it approaching through the trees. It builds and builds and then crashes across the deck. As Nicole stated, it was like ocean waves. While it made sleeping difficult for this auditory person, it was also thrilling and exciting. I could almost imagine myself sleeping in a log cabin in some desolate prairie or on the deck of an ocean liner in the middle of a storm. Of course, we don't need to talk about what my hair looked like when I got up . . . .

Well, I have just about 68 hours now until the surgery. (Sorry, Susan) In that time, I have two more books to write, 13 educational items and one passage. My work is cut out for me indeed but at least I will keep busy. My work load after the surgery is growing fast also, so I am wishing for a very speedy recovery indeed.

When you go to bed tonight, think of me out on the deck, huddled under sleeping bags, snuggling as close as possible to my hubby to leech his warmth and listening to my children (two of them--the third sleeps in his room so he can stay up as late as he wants and we won't know) whisper in the darkness. Hopefully, none of us will get blown away.