Reason # 10,002 I love the South? The state won’t send you a reminder to renew your driver’s license but they’ll darn sure remind you to get your pistol permit !

There are always hummingbirds at my house. This year it seems like there are more than ever before. So many more than we’re filling four feeders twice a day. I should buy stock in Dixie Crystals.

After the post last week where I admitted to y’all that I was bat-shit crazy, I had all weekend to think on why the storms and the aftermath were affecting me so deeply. Especially when my mother broke down in tears Sunday and told me that it brought back bad memories for her too, of the tornado, Katrina and the death of my father. That didn’t help.

I think maybe that what has happened is that I have taken all of these things that have happened in my life and put them in a box inside me and slammed a lid on it. Like some kind of  jailhouse hooch, they all fermented inside me for the last 5 1/2 years until the last ingredients were added in the form of the tornadoes. And, like a bottle of wine gone bad, it pushed the cork out.Which I think is actually a good thing. It’s forced me to finally admit that hey, maybe I’m not ok. Maybe I need to put my stubborn and infamous Trimble pride away and do something to get myself better. And I’ve started that process by helping as much as I can, by getting the turmoil out of my system by trying to help others with theirs.

I have discovered that getting off of one’s ass is the best therapy around. Sitting around moaning and groaning doesn’t do a darn bit of good for anyone, especially the groaner. Well, in most situations.

Anyway…..

As I was driving to one of the donation drop-off sites, I did a dangerous thing.

I let my mind wander.

It wandered right into the aisle of my conscious labeled ” YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE.”

What the hell am I whining about? I have my home, my family, my doggies, and all my fingers and toes. Except for some limbs and a few blown over fence boards, we made it through fine this time.

I took the tragedy that befell my beloved south and let it open the can of worms in my brain, basically giving them carte blanche to drag me down into the mud with them.

The hell with that.

Yea, I got problems, I have issues. I may actually be totally crazy but until I get a monthly check from the guv’ment it’s really not official, so that means I don’t have to believe it.

But I do believe that I can make a difference. I CAN DO SOMETHING.

And so can you.

So let’s do this.

I’m making tote boxes full of requested supplies and I’m taking them everywhere I can. I’m taking fans and dog and cat food to every humane society that needs it. If someone asks me to spin on my head and whistle Dixie in the middle of downtown Birmingham, if it helps someone affected by this, I’m going to do it.

Donate, volunteer, do something.

I have established a ChipIn account for anyone who wants to help with my efforts. I’m trying to establish a non-profit relief agency as we speak. Your donations may be tax deductible if I can get it rolling. If you want to add to it, please do. Even if it’s just a dollar. I set my goal really low, but I’m hoping the Interwebz will surprise me and raise the bar. Pay it forward. Put a deposit in your karma savings. Something, anything.

Thank you. ( If you can’t see the donation widget – you can click here and see it.)