Search:

The rain from tropical storm Ike left two feet of backed-up sewer water in my son’s basement. His black Sunday e-mail read, “Our basement flooded yesterday. Since our insurance excluded flood/sewer backup in the coverage, we will be on our own for the cleanup and replacement of anything that was damaged (washer, dryer, furnace, hot water heater and treadmill). Also the ‘91 Honda Accord died yesterday.”

Helpless, I considered my family in the midst of a mess as I watched my husband in the midst of building his long, dreamed-of workshop, trying to get it in the dry before the winter...