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Community Corner

Boo to Frankenstorm

The impending storm, although a bit scary, may provide plenty of opportunities for family time.

The big questions at my house as we waited for the perfect storm to begin were “What about Halloween?” and “Has school been cancelled yet?”  

They are pertinent questions for children but I’m more concerned with flooding, downed trees and power outages.

We’ve got water, flashlights, snacks, canned goods and food for the dog. We are crossing our fingers that the electricity will stay on. We have two sump pumps that work feverishly during tiny rain showers, if they stop running during "Frankenstorm," it will be a mess. We will then be working feverishly with buckets and towels, finding family time in floppy mops and a shop vac.

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My husband jokingly tells me we are ready for the storm because his beer fridge is stocked and he has a lot of pretzels. Men! I do admit that his fully stocked beer fridge came in handy last year during Hurricane Irene. My sister-in-law and her husband came over (they live around the corner) and we had a little Hurricane Happy Hour and even had pizza delivered. It was one of those unplanned great nights. It would be nice if this storm follows in Irene’s footsteps and leaves us unscathed and laughing over beers and pizza. Let's hope.

But, it sounds pretty serious so we are taking precautions at our house. We moved all outside furniture and decorations inside, cleaned our gutters, and cleared the leaves from the street in front of our house. We’ve charged our phones and computers. I might even have my husband hook up an old phone to the telephone jack in the basement. Having a landline working in the event of an outage would make me feel better.   

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We aren’t panicking, just being cautious. I hope that the storm slows down and does not cause a lot of damage but we will take it as it comes and try and make the best of it.

Sometimes, when people are forced to slow down and stay inside, we enjoy each other’s company and may actually steal some special moments together.

The possibility of no school or work for a few days allowed my daughter and me the opportunity to make the cupcakes she’s been begging for. She whipped up a huge batch. Who knows, maybe they will scare off "Sandy."

My husband made some ‘Franken’ Shakes as he called them using all of the ice cream we had in the house along with the leftover cupcake icing in honor of the crazy mixed up storm heading our way. Gross! I did drink some though.

I brewed my own special potion—a pot of some yummy baked potato soup because comfort food is comforting when you’re not sure what the next couple of days may hold.

Baking cupcakes, making soup, playing games, talking, just slowing down and spending quality time together can make something wonderful out of an uncertain or scary experience. School is out for a few days but the storm will provide lots of learning moments. This unprecedented storm is history in the making, an event they will not forget.

So, stay safe, stay alert, and stay calm. Don't miss out on the quiet, silly, and special family time you can steal during the storm.

Also, if Halloween is cancelled, can you let me know? I might need to dip into some of that chocolate over the next couple of days.

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