A Big Sigh of Relief

    So the blizzard of 2013 came, dumped about a foot of snow, and went. Most of the action took place at night, while we were (mercifully) asleep. We went to bed listening to the howling wind and woke up to...sunshine.
   Our block was buried. The streets, car roofs, grass, everything was glistening a blinding white. But it was beautiful. And calm. There was a noticeable peace on the block. Neighbors were out, shoveling and chatting. A snow plow ran up and down the street several times. Kids were playing, people were laughing. This was a no-stress mess.
   I believe after the nightmare we have all lived through, the general, unspoken consensus was relief. Nobody here lost power. Nobody flooded. The roads were quickly passable. Thank goodness.
   Of course, this is not to discount our friends and family to the North. Many people got almost 4 feet of snow. There were widespread power outages in some areas, but NOTHING like what we had experienced just 102 days before. With so many fewer emergencies to deal with, the utilities could put these folks back on line in a matter of hours, rather than weeks, or in some cases, months. More to be grateful for!
     The government, having learned from their past mistakes, took many preemptive actions to ensure the public safety and general continuation of services. I can not tell you how thankful I am for that.
    Today, I will pick myself up from my computer chair, put on my big girl boots and go build a snowman with my 2 wonderful boys. I think we will name him Nemo!

                                                      After some early shoveling.

101 Days Later

   It has been exactly 101 days since SSS hit. Tonight, we are bracing for a blizzard, predicted to wallop us with 8 to 14 inches of snow, depending where you live. The sleeplessness is back. The flashbacks have begun all over again. We are in mother nature's path of wrath, but I don't know why. Pray for a quick ending to the storm. Pray for the safety of the already devastated families. Pray for sanity in a time of despair.
    The gas lines have already started, for fear of dealing with the power outages and shortages still in our memories. Supermarket shelves are bare. People are taking no chances this time.
   As my husband and children sleep peacefully, I sit and write and worry. In the morning, I will go to work, bring my children to school and hope everyone makes it to their destinations safely. Tomorrow afternoon, I wil return home, charge my devices and make my home as comforting and safe for my family as I can.
   Let's hope that this blizzard,that the newscasters are calling Nemo, has less force, anger and destruction than Sandy did. Stay safe, people. Stay warm.