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Hampton Inn Lobby on a Rainy Monday.

So, I haven't updated here in a long time, because I mostly update via Faceook these days. However, for the three of you who may read this blog rather than Facebook, here we go, buckle your seat belts!

About three weeks ago, we got word of a water pipe break in Dad's house in Anniston. The water was shut off, but not before it had formed a two-foot deep pool in the garage. I scrambled desperately to get things taken care of in Vero, so I could take some time off to come up here (I am currently in Anniston) to see what had to be done. In a nutshell - Dad's house suffered MAJOR mold damage. I have produced a series of videos mostly from my cell phone titled "Mold Monster" which are on Facebook. I MAY post them here sometime in the future, but don't hold me to it. The bedroom level of Dad's house will be gutted. Mold remediation has already begun, and reconstruction will follow. the process should take 5-6 weeks and could cost upwards of 50-60 thousand dollars! Yeah, you read that right.

Lil Bro was with us for the first few days (taking days off he could string together from his job), and we FOOLISHLY allowed Dad to talk us into staying at the house for the first two nights we were in town. Sleeping with the Mold Monster is about as stupid a thing as you would ever want to do. After a round of antibiotics, and many decongestant pills, I am about to get back to normal, but my sinuses haven't felt this bad in ages. Dad's homeowner's insurance is paying for us to stay at the Hampton Inn here in Oxford, AL, while we are in town. We leave here Wednesday to head back home to Vero Beach! Meanwhile, we are gearing things up for some outside work to be done on the house (trimming and removal of bushes, etc.), as well as the inside work. Good parts of all of this include the fact that the garage will be emptied out, and the stuff that has been cluttering it up for way too long will go away, AND I won't have to be the one making it go away. Fo' realz, the bottom line of this situation is that the house will be in much better shape than it has been in nearly two decades, and for that I must give God a huge shout out of praise!!!

We are hoping to see Aunt Phyllis either this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon and I am seriously looking forward to that visit. Words cannot express my love for Aunt Phyl, and she continues to be a source of great strength and comfort to me. We've been through a lot together over the course of my very short (ahem) lifetime, and I always enjoy the chance to just hang out with her.

Dad and I have made two trips to the Etowah County jail in attempts to visit with Donna, and so are we are 0-for-2 in that regard. We will make at least one more attempt, but because of privacy issues, we cannot even find out if a visit will be possible. yeah, it is a strange world , this realm of county jails, but it is the reality of life regarding Donna. 'Nuff said.

So, with the Mold Monster on the run, with work being done inside and outside the house to enhance it's value, this trip to 'Bama has been far more productive and encouraging than I thought it would be. I am such a skeptic still. I must repent of that and ask God to continue showing me His mighty ways!

Y0ur continued prayers for Dad, Donna, Ed, Aunt Phyl and me are greatly appreciated. Your continued prayers for my Beautiful, and Wonderful Bride, for Ian, Emily, Elliott and Abi are greatly appreciated as they continue to be so supportive from afar (FL). God is so good. May my life reflect His goodness and His love always.
Be God's,
Scott