Damn those helpful neighbors

Nothing like a good disaster for you to find out who your real friends are.

There was a post in LiveJournal about community that really got me thinking about this one.
What is community. Where do I fit in. Responsibilities and respect.

Now that the *ahem* dust ( I wish) has settled and it's time to get back to normalcy, and take care of business ( instead of emergency response) I am overwhelmed by the offers of aid.

In the middle of the first wave ( ha ha) of the first flood I got a call on my cell from the mom of my groupie, I mean, 4H family offering help.
They called a few more times and on Saturday called to say they would come out the next day.
Yesterday, the whole family showed up with a wheelbarrow and pitrchfork and shovel and I couldn't have stopped them even if I wanted to ( uh, why would I?).

Dad was a real drill sergeant and they worked so hard and we got so much cleaned up I ran out of things for them to do.
I couldn't believe it. It was really beyond words.
No expectations, no guilt from me, just pure wanting to help. It was really wonderful. I can't even think of a word for how this makes me feel.
So much help I had to turn down another friend who was sending her hubby out to help me out, as I am now pretty wiped out from 3 days of shoveling, and, there's almost not much to do now.
I am overwhelmed by my friends. Really.
I don't deserve them.
Damn them.

So now I am to where I can actually think about new projects, although I really need to get tarps on the Grade B barn at some point ( a few days without rain already makes me forget).
I spent the night in bed with the Metalwork textbook. Some great tips for tool using, and I think I might start to get my shop area in shape for the trailer project.
I took some graph paper and mapped out how to do it.
I need to gather up my scrap metal and wash the dried mud off and see what I've got.

Soon, I might break out the welder....

Sunshine makes everything seem possible.
And good friends.
Damn them.