Today is Easy

About a month ago, we had our first rain of the season. It didn't roll in all easy and nice. Nope. The rainy season started with a freaking monsoon (well, at least it seemed monsoon-ish to me). The storm we got was the end of what WAS a typhoon while the system was over the Philippines. It rained good and hard for a solid 24 hours. It made fantastic puddles that we enjoyed for days, but it also brought a less welcome surprise . . . a surprise which came in the form of mold.

It actually got worse than this, but my whole itchy scalp thing prevented me from getting more photos.

Now, I generally try not to completely freak out about things. I try, but I don't always succeed. I have seen shows about "toxic mold", and I even knew a family who had a toxic mold invade their home and cause some medical issues for the whole family. So there I was, with a moldy wall, trying not to freak out. I made the excellent choice to post the picture on my Facebook page with the caption, "This worries me". Within minutes, a bunch of my friends all respond with comments that do nothing to assuage my fears. (Lesson learned: Facebook friends may not be the best source of comfort OR factual information).
Really long story made short: our landlord responded pretty well, got their insurance right on top of things, and then we played the get this problem fixed game. That involved a lot of strangers coming to my house (insurance adjusters, environmental scientists, mold abatement pros, roofers, etc) over the period of several weeks, getting a new roof put on, having the mold removed, and now finally, getting a new, mold-free wall. We still need to let the texture dry, hang trim, and repaint, but the end is very much in sight.
So today, it's easy for me to feel grateful. I'm grateful that my landlord did their best to get this resolved quickly and painlessly. I'm grateful that the mold wasn't of the crazy "toxic" variety, and that we didn't have to burn all our stuff for fear it was infected with toxic spores. I'm grateful that all the strangers that have been in and out of my house have been friendly and honest and not weird molesters or rapists (see how I try not to freak out about stuff?). I'm grateful that we got a brand-spanking new roof out of the deal. I'm grateful that I was able to get the mold abatement crew to test the whole house for mold (no mold anywhere else... hooray!) and for the peace of mind that has brought me. And I'm really grateful today that we have a new, mold-free wall in our family room.
Today is easy. We're mold free and all put back together!