Prayers for my beautiful Vermont

Unless you've been living under a rock you know that Hurricane, now Tropical Storm Irene has been pounding the East Coast.  I'm sure you've heard about Gov. Chris Christie's now famous line of "Get the hell off the beach.  You're done, it's 4:30, you've maximized your tan." 

Which would is possibly the greatest line.  Ever. Wouldn't you love to say that to people in real life?  I may have to adopt this as a new catch phrase.  

The devastation in Vermont is horrible.  Fortunately my family in NW VT is okay.  Mom had lots of heavy rain & wind but that was it.  My brother & nephews (about 15 mi from the Canadian border) had rain, wind & have lost power.  Last night my 14 yr old nephew texted me to let me know that no power meant no water for them as they have a well.  He was coming to grips with the idea of having to brush his teeth with a bottle.of.water.  The horror, the horror.  Oh, to be 14 again & think that is the height of indignities during a natural disaster.

Southern Vermont has been hit so very hard.  I spent part of last night looking at videos & pictures that people were posting on FB.  My heart was breaking for my beloved home state.  What didn't make the news was that this past spring the state suffered from flooding.  You saw Tennessee & other states along the banks of the Mississippi, but not Johnson, VT where a grocery store had 2-3 feet of standing water.  Not Colchester, VT (where we used to swim as children) where lake front homes were ruined.  Not St. Albans, VT where the lake waters took weeks to recede.  And not my 'hood of Burlington where the water left everything on the waterfront under 3 feet of water.   It's only VT.  It's a small state---unless it involves Ben & Jerry's or a snowboarder during the Olympics, no one pays attention.

But I do.  And those of us who love Vermont & are so fortunate to call her home do.  Please keep my beautiful home state in your prayers as the job of clean up & recovery begins.