And then it stormed, part two

What to do when a psychotic hailstorm is pounding your beautiful garden into mush, and scaring the daylights out of you.

1. Immediately call husband and tell him to come home from work, if he can get across the flooded road. Call him back when the phone goes dead three times.

2. Take a big swig of brandy out of the bottle to stop the shaking hands.

3. Kiss the babies a whole bunch of times and be really glad the house didn't blow away, cause it is the only one you have.

4. Drink a big decaf (we have learned our lesson about caffeine, haven't we?) mocha, the first one in about six years that husband brings home. Not the same as a mouthful of brandy but at least it is good.

5. Walk around stunned for a few hours with clippers and a rake in your hands trying to find a way to prune things back so they will recover. Discover that the only thing not killed dead by the hail are the boxwoods. Too ornery to get hurt, as the husband puts it. Agree with husband.

6. Prune boxwoods cause it is the only thing that really needs it. Everything else has gotten a pretty serious haircut already.

7. Order a blizzard (no pun intended) from husband when he goes to get catfood, heath bar of course.

8. Watch a really stupid movie while eating the blizzard.

9. Be thankful for the rain anyway, we needed it.

10. Pretend that it all comes back magically overnight.

11. Try not to cry when you see what is left of your squash plants and giant zinnias that were about to bloom.

12. Vow that the next house will have a basement. At least it won't be as loud down there.

13. Kiss babies a bunch more times and be glad you have a husband who will come home from work early when you were so freaked out you needed brandy.

oh.

14. Start planning a new garden.