First, thanks to "everyone" who helped me or made offers to help.
The carport is now but a memory. What was left has been taken down, and hauled off. When I go outside now, it's like a big hole, maybe that's not the right description. I guess I cannot think of a proper term to describe it. It afforded me protection from all types of weather; rain, sleet and the ever present threat of hail. I have been asked over and over if I was going to replace it. The answer is yes, but when I don't know. I can't seem to wrap my mind around the whole thing. I know it was just a structure but sometimes the sadness just overwhelms me. The one big silver lining is the fact my car managed to survive it. I said just yesterday that God was looking out for me. If the whole thing had come down completely, the car would have been damaged heavily. As it turned out, I have a good size dent by one of the smaller windows in the back, the spoiler will have to be replaced and there are many scratches that went down to the primer. No windows were broken, but the adjuster will have the last say in how bad it really is.
For those who know me, you know that I believe that angels walk among us. I have had the pleasure of encounters with them. They seem to show up when you least expect them. A couple of years ago we had a really bad snowstorm that dumped a lot of snow with heavy drifts. It was a Sunday and I was working up my courage to go out and try to dig out. My doorbell rang and a man was standing there offering to clear my car and driveway for practically nothing. It was an answer to a prayer. I sent him on to my neighbor and he did the same for her. The night my carport fell my doorbell rang again. It was about 3 AM. Now you all know that these days you don't answer the door in the middle of the night. But something told me to answer it and I did. Standing on the porch was a young lady. She said "mam, did you know your carport fell?" She was checking to see if the occupants were okay, and if there was anything she could do. She was coming home from work and saw it. She is a neighbor around the corner, but the generosity of her heart warmed mine. Then yesterday, a Sunday again, yet another ring of the doorbell. A nice young man was standing there and wanted to know if I needed help getting the carport removed. It's funny because I was thinking about how was I going to get this done. Another answer to a prayer. He drives an ice cream truck for extra money, but he is a partner in a small construction company. He called his partner and by 7:30 last night the mess was gone. They were so respectful to me and the property and carefully removed it from the car with no further damage. I guess the point to this lengthy piece is: angels are there, and you just have to recognize them. Prayers are answered. It may not be what you want, but it most certainly is something that you need, in good times and during the bad times.
I am still emotional about the whole episode for many reasons, some of which I will not share. But again, I am trying to see that maybe this was a good thing, and now I can replace it in the future with the right kind that will be safe for me and my little "plum" PT.
