My mother-in-law’s first Zentangle. She only has use of her left hand after suffering a stroke several years ago.

“How long a minute is, depends on which side of the bathroom door you’re on. “ ~Zall’s Second Law

The past few days have been filled with preparations in advance of Hurricane Isaac.  We have been through many storms and have learned a few lessons over the years.  A big aha for me with Hurricane Andrew was the purpose behind filling the bathtubs with water.  I always did it because you are supposed to do that, but never knew why.  I knew I wouldn’t drink any water from the bathtub no matter how clean it was.   It’s not for drinking, it’s for flushing!  When the power goes out it can affect the power to the pumps that bring water to the house.  Thank goodness Andrew brought a lot of rain because two bathtubs for a family with three women doesn’t last very long.  We ended up capturing the rain in garbage cans to “keep the waters flowing.”  My family was the envy of the neighborhood after about three days.

One of the first priorities for my husband and his sister is to get his mom out of harm’s way.  She lives in a nursing home in a coastal area of the state that is vulnerable to flooding.  We make a point of getting her early and bringing her north to the Baton Rouge area.  Since my home is friendlier for her wheelchair, it makes sense to have her stay with us.  She had a stroke about 6 years ago and has no use of her right side, but likes to stay busy.  I’ve been doing laundry – you don’t want dirty clothes when the power goes – and she has been folding for me today.  Slow going, but she gets the job done.

Chores and prep are finished and now we wait.  It’s a bit surreal, waiting for a hurricane.   Time seems to stop, but you are on edge watching and waiting.  Perfect conditions to enjoy a little tangle time.  I have been working on some pumpkins I will be sharing later.  My mother-in-law has been fascinated with the Zentangle process as she has watched the transformation of these discount store pumpkins.  This evening she told me she thought she would like to give it a try.  “I like that you can’t make mistakes.”  We used regular cardstock and a Sharpie pen.  I demonstrated and then held her paper as she tangled away.  In the end she decided it didn’t look anything like what I showed her, but she loves it.  Seventy-plus years old, working with only with her non-dominant hand and still ready for a challenge, I’m always impressed by her spirit.  So I share with you her first Zentangle, created while we wait for Isaac, in the hope you will be inspired to try something new.

Advertisement