Ain't God grand! Mother Nature really strutted her stuff this time, and I've got pulverized evergreens resembling weeping willows to prove it. Whew! We really took a blast with this record-setting blizzard of 2010. Lesson learned? Get ready; be better prepared. Could this be a foretaste of the decade to come -- full of superlatives and weathering wicked storms? Is this the decade that you discover what true grit you're made of? What really matters? The difference between desire and necessity?
Take head: Sunshine and smiles come in the morning.
Yesterday, I was not so optimistic when I woke up to a beeping alarm system alerting me to a power outage that lasted from 6 a.m to 8 p.m. By the time my daughter and I were costumed like Russian immigrants marching across the Siberian ice lands in "Dr. Zhivago -- chanting "power, power" and cheering "give me a P-O-W-E-R!" -- the thermostat in our all-electric house was descending below 60 degrees. Doesn't seem that bad but after donning the third layer of clothing and a blanket, my nose was still feeling frosty. The tea literally warmed by tea lights was a welcome warmth.
More than 250,00 people in the Washington metropolitan region were without electricity yesterday, according to WTOP-FM. I wondered how they were coping, especially those with babies and elderly, sick relatives. I found batteries for the dusty radio, an old phone to plug into the wall, candles of every color, shape and size, ate cereal and sandwiches, and spent a rare afternoon free from the hustle and hassle of work, work, work.
Even when you think you've prepared for the worst, that you're covered for the unexpected event, that you've got a workable contingency plan, the Universe throws you a Snowmygod fastball. Do you duck, let it smack you in the face and knock you down, or do you catch it and make ice cream? French vanilla for me, please.
