Day 2156 New England

Ah… New England! The entire region is glued to the Weather Channel, keeping a close eye on the impending storm. We’re scheduled to get a major storm over the weekend and into Monday, with at least six inches of snow expected, though there’s a good chance that number could double. It’s also bitterly cold, with temperatures in the single digits and wind chills that make it feel even colder. No wonder we love our beaches so much in the summer!

I’ll be dragging out my storm prep bin, one I made years ago and smartly filled with just about anything we might need during a storm. I keep a checklist of must-buy items for winter snowstorms versus hurricanes, the things you can’t store long-term without them expiring. I even made a storm prep kit for my daughter and had to laugh the last time she pulled hers out during a storm!

Preparation really does need to be done ahead of time… cue the classic bread-and-milk rush. Most people don’t realize that the reason for buying so much bread is to pack the freezer, filling all the empty space in case of a power outage. A packed freezer keeps things frozen much longer than one with empty space. The milk, though? Well… that one’s on us.

Later this morning, I’ll be pulling out my kit, checking my list, and making sure Tim and I are set with everything we might need. Somehow, baking cookies always makes it onto my storm prep plan.

I grew up out in the woods and remember all too well the Blizzard of ’78, which left us without power for at least two weeks. Without electricity, we had no water since we were on a well. We had to walk down to the pond and fill buckets just to flush the toilet, fortunately, we had a couple wood stoves so we didn't freeze.  Now that Tim and I have switched from a wood stove to a pellet stove, I worry about losing power and heat at the same time. Fingers crossed the power stays on! We do have a battery backup, but it only lasts a few hours...let’s hope we don’t need it.

Even with all the cold, snow, and storm prep… I’ll still take New England any day. There’s somethin exciting about hunkering down, being prepared, and riding out the storm at home...cookies in the oven and all.

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?” — John Steinbeck