The rapidly changing temperatures in Paraguay never cease to amaze me. Yesterday it was hot with 95 degree temperatures; we wore tank tops, drank slushies, had our floor fans on high blast, and watered our thirsty garden. This morning as I hung the clothes on the line I marveled at the beautiful hot sun that would dry the clothes in no time – maybe I could even get a second load washed, hung and dried before evening. One hour later dark clouds rolled in and the wind began howling.
Sporadic rain drops fell at first and then the heavens let loose and a torrent of wetness fell down. I grabbed my sweatshirt and the kids feeling the dropping temperature asked for some hot chocolate.
We have been trained to react quickly when it rains – get the clothes from the line, unplug the computer, pick toys and anything else up of the floor, shut the windows, and put towels in strategic positions. Even with closed windows the rain seeps in and runs down the wall to the floor. We have had several storms when all three window-leaking rooms took on so much water that it spilled over into the hall to create a giant mess. I have learned not to keep things stored under the beds or position my sofa completely against the wall.
Our kitchen has a few annoying leaks too. It is always the same routine - we set out bowls to catch the drips and then Micah steals the half full bowl dumping its contents on himself or we trip over the bowls in the middle of the kitchen and soak our legs. Rain pours under our kitchen door, runs between the wall and the stove and gravitates into the kid’s room. I am so thankful for a non-carpeted house because no room is safe when it rains at our house.
When it rains the electricity almost always goes out followed by the water. “Quick kids, go to the bathroom while we can still flush the toilets.” “Get the flashlights and candles ready.” “Don’t get anything out of the refrigerator unless you ask first.” Yes, we’ve been trained well.
Rain does insure family time together. Fewer patients come looking for Jeff and school closes, buses don’t run, stores shut down and folk just stay at home. Everyone just knows that Bible studies and girls club and church are all cancelled. I sit by a flickering candle in our kitchen feeling the ricocheting splash from the roof and I wondered if the early American settlers felt like this. Of course their kids weren’t saying, “Can we watch a movie?” “No, the electricity is out.” “Well, then can we play on the computer?” “No, the electricity is out.” “Put some music in then and we’ll dance.” “The electricity is still out.” Time to pull out the books and the craft supplies and use imagination….and that is never time wasted.
Playing in the rain
co 2009 Amy McKissick
2 comments:
I LOVE this post!!! Sooo how do all those muddy kids get clean if the water is out? I'm sure you have some sort of stragetic missionary mom plan like a waiting pre-filled bath tub, or something of the sort. Miss you.
In my country PR is the same way with rain! I remember hanging clothes in the morning with my mom and picking them up before noon. THe days that we got up with rain, we knew we can hand our clothes in the afternoon. I will worth ( if you can) watch where the flow of the water comes more into the house, you house is very close to the ground, so that can't be change...but maybe someone can dig a long trench were the water can be canalized ...at list the rush of the water. In PR when they build house they are raised at list 2 feet off the ground because that same reason. Good times just came to my memory playing in 2 feets of water...Many blessings over there.
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