No.Not the new movie. And no...not my usual lavatorial sense of humour.
But my home...and garden. Flushed away.Yesterday.

At 7,00am the beck at the front of my home was rising in the torrential rain we have been suffering in the UK for the past few weeks.By 7.30am the water was up to my door.By 8.00am my home was a lake ,the road outside a raging river...and my front and back garden submerged by muddy,contaminated silt and sludge.

I was home with my two children,my husband in the middle of the North sea where he works.We set to and cleaned up where we could when the water had drained,but mid afternoon we looked on in horror as the rain came again,the road transformed into an almighty river this time,with a current that was treacherous.And my home once again transformed into Loch Ness.This time the damage was even greater.It rose above the sockets so the electricity had to be cut and I had no phone..the mobiles were out of power and we had no way to recharge them.My husband flew home to a scene of absolute devastation.

But ..you know...it really doesn`t matter.What have we lost? A few possessions.Yes...some of my furniture was antique and possibly irreplaceable but we are still here...still breathing...still mobile enough to clean the filth and the muck away...still here to take a mop and deal with the sludge.
And for that I am truly thankful.Three people in different areas lost their lives so it puts it all in perspective doesn`t it?

The saddest sight for me was when my son ,almost knee deep in dirty cold water,broke down in despair at the futile efforts we had made to rescue stuff...he sadly watched as objects drifted around in this alien sea ...exhausted himself from having worked so hard to save this item and that item,heaving sofas and chairs in vain,wresting duvets and towels,rugs and bean bags to stem the urgent tide of water that seeped through our doorways at an alarming rate.
My heart went out to him.. But I was able to say "It doesn`t matter.We did our best.
WE are still here."

ANd now...now that the water has disappeared ,and we are left with the cleaning up and sorting out of insurance ....no heating,no cooker,no this and that...I am still not sad .

Because that`s all they are.Life`s collectibles. Lost at sea.
I sure as hell won`t miss em but the thought of missing my family`s smiles,tears,arguments...etc etc.? Doesn`t bear thinking about.

Yes...I continue to be one lucky lucky lady.

Steff

ps.Does anyone know how to upload a photo in these posts cos I`d love you all to see my "water garden"