And here comes Hurricane Matthew...

Waiting is the difficult part for now. This is the 4th hurricane in my territory since I move to Florida in 1978. The first one, Hurricane David in 1979, missed the coast by about 15 miles. It was stormy - but my house, 10 miles inland, came through just fine.

The second one was awful - Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Few people in South Florida came through that storm without damage. I lost a friend. I had friends that lost everything short of their lives. I had to find somewhere to live. That was a tough, tragic storm on many levels, and even now it's hard to talk or think about it.

The third storm, Hurricane Wilma in 2005, was the first one that I experienced by myself. It came through Weston as a strong Category 3, and destroyed or damaged almost all the trees and landscaping in the area, including mine. Only a few roofs were left intact, from south of me, all the way up the coast past West Palm Beach. With roads only partially open, and the entrance to my neighborhood blocked by fallen trees and debris, I rode my bicycle to get out and about. I was without power for a couple weeks, but the storm hit in late November, and the temperatures were bearable. I had water!

But go figure. There I was with all the damage to my house and community, no electricity, A/C, or cell phone service, and the only thing that really bugged me was the sound of generators running all over the place.

So, Hurricane Matthew. I'm tired of watching the Weather Channel and wondering what might happen. And I'm so sorry for the people who've been dealing with this in the Caribbean for the past few days. I know I'm safer than many of them.

I've been ready for days - gas, groceries, batteries, duct tape. Yard checked for loose branches. Battened down. So this morning, I checked on a couple neighbors, and then I went to Holly Lobby. I just had to get out of the house for a while. Sort of sniff the air and be around some people.

This afternoon I prepped some hand sewing that I'll welcome if the power goes out.  I'm starting a Kantha quilt-inspired project with two pareus I've kept folded away in my wardrobe. I'm so sentimental - I haven't wanted to use them as apparel, because they are precious memories from travel with my kids.

Tonight I'll go to bed (or fall asleep on the sofa) with my little radio and lantern nearby.

Hoping for the best outcome - Coco

Edited Thur. 10/6 afternoon: Hi! I'm so bad - this thing was fine last night, it's late today/tonight that we'll feel the most impact. Thank you all so much for the caring thoughts and encouragement. So far so good! I think my son - he's in Orlando, and has a second home at Wilbur Beach, just south of Daytona - will be more challenged. All digits are crossed. My current worry is the dozen coconuts in my very tall palm. They're like missiles in a high wind. I have forefingers pressed to my temples, eyes closed, and I'm chanting "just fall straight down, right now" :-)