Wonderful Wednesday #96

{Taken on Sunday afternoon - the calm after the storm!} Welcome to what we're calling 'THE LATE EDIT'  I write my #wonderfulwednesday on a Tuesday evening you see.  If we're being really honest i leave it quite late for two reasons.  The first being that i need to have squeezed about as much goodness from Monday and Tuesday as can be before i can write it.  The second is because i can't miss 'Masterchef:  The Professionals' every Tuesday and that doesn't finish until 9pm.  But last night, as prompt and on the dot as can be, at 9pm our power went out.  And shortly afterwards both of our phones and the Ipad battery died.  As you can appreciate scrabbling for candles and the like seemed a little more important than trying to work out the #wonderfulwednesday conundrum!  
This weeks' post is a little bit different anyway though.  Unless you've been living under a rock, you will have probably seen that the city i live in, CARLISLE; was very badly hit by flooding over the weekend.  We are counting every blessing that there is to count that we weren't affected by it at all - not directly anyway.  But seeing the devastation, sadness and sheer tragedy caused by it has been a tug on both of our heartstrings.  These past few days have been nothing but a blur to me and watching it all unfold over the weekend was quite frankly terrifying.  Nobody could have predicted what might happen and sitting there on Saturday night, as the wind rattled our attic beams and the rain fell with a persistence and force that i've never ever heard before; all we could do was wait.    
None of us were able to sleep so we stayed up late, watching News 24 and hoping that we'd all be okay.  Waking up on Sunday morning was something impossible to describe.  There were no cathedral bells, no traffic, no people - not even a breath of wind or a drop of rain.  The sun was trying to force it's way in between the blinds covering our attic window.  The city was silent - apart from fire alarms, sirens and helicopters.  Apart from walking out to stock up on candles, a little extra food and a few bottles of water, we spent most of sunday watching what the weather had done to our city on the news.  We were gripped, speecheless and sad and it honestly felt like we were watching a film, like none of it was real at all.  
It seemed wrong to sit here and tell you what's been good and great about my week so far today when so, so many people i know have lost everything - their worldly possessions: irreplaceable things and homes they have lived in for all of their lives and so close to Christmas.  I'm not from Cumbria, i was born near Manchester and moved up to Scotland for secondary school and back down to here to study at university.  But this city is my home and one that has welcomed me with wide open arms and made me feel like i've always lived here.  Seeing it struggle and be torn in two is heartbreaking.  
To help those affected by the flooding in Carlisle and surrounding towns and villages across our county a two million appeal has been launched.  As of today, Wednesday 9th December 2015 the total stands at a fantastic £624,000 and for that we are so, so very grateful.  It will go  to those directly affected by the floods and will aid cleaning up, emergency repair work, clothing, food and drink, heating, childcare equipment and furniture.  
If you'd like to donate - as much or as little as you can you can click HERE.   *   *   * And in the spirit of positivity and of the usual #wonderfulwednesday, here are five things that have cheered me up over the last few days and restored my faith in humanity - whilst also wiping away a fair few tears!
1.  Seeing photos of a little donkey being rescued over the weekend and it's big 'smile' at the end once it was on dry land!
2.  Witnessing our community pull together and help everyone out:  Facebook posts offering help:  clothes, food and water, to those in need and those offering to help clean up businesses affected by the flood water.  
3.  Small businesses supporting each other and offering work space, sharing of facilities or help and advice for free to those who might need it.  {Especially Amanda's dedication to supporting local businesses and companies and suggesting people 'Shop local' to help those affected by the quieter city centre at the moment and in the run up to Christmas and what should be one of the busiest times of year. 
4.  The lovely folk at Ashbridge & Brown { a beautiful old fashioned, quirky gift shop in our city centre} offering a £5 donation to the Flood Appeal for every Cath Kidston bag they sell.
5.  THIS post by Jo.  For making me fill up, and feel proud as punch all in one go.
Because if you take away one thing from this post, be it that Cumbria is well and truly open and getting back on its feet.  Please come and visit us, show us some support and lend a little bit of help to those local businesses and people needing it at this tricky time.
We'd be ever so grateful.  And if you can do one more teeny, tiny thing for me - heavens if it's the only thing you do then i'll be so grateful - SHARE this post as far and as wide as you can and on as many platforms as possible! *  *  *  
I'll be back this time next week {only on time and earlier!} with my usual post.  In the mean time, you can follow along with me on Instagram HERE.

Thank you!