is there any more pie?

Call it what you will, it’s going to dump a lot of snow on us.  Fluffy snow, thank goodness.  We rarely have the light, fluffy kind here in New England.

It has been snowing for seven hours, but the weatherman this morning said it hasn’t really begun.

Huh?

We’re in the darkest blue band, the one that predicts 24-36″ of snow.

But snow is not the problem.  It’s the 50-70 mph winds anticipated for this afternoon, right here along the coast, that could cause the most damage along with power outages.

Oh my goodness.

I was up at 4:30 this morning, partly because I was tired of listening to the wind and mostly because I wanted coffee before the power went out.

Wouldn’t you?

Daughter Nancy is working double shifts at her assisted living facility this weekend and is grabbing what sleep she can on the floor in an empty room instead of driving in the storm.  There is increasing pressure on the governor to spend some of the Federal “Covid relief money” on giving bonuses to health care workers.  They have worked so hard—and could make a larger hourly salary by working at McDonalds.

My emails to the governor and state representatives go unanswered.

Sigh.

Stay warm and safe, everyone.  We’re hoping the power stays on and, no matter what, won’t be venturing out of the house anytime soon.

We’re expecting a huge blizzard tonight and into Sunday.  Weathermen have been using the phrase “cyclone snow bomb” or some such thing.

They are also predicting up to 34″ of snow.

I know my Idaho and Montana readers are saying, “Ho hum” and wondering what the big deal is.

I know.

But this is a rough winter for us and there is only so much more I can take before throwing my hands up in the air and a “For Sale” sign in the yard.

Just kidding.   Sort of.

After 25 days a repairman came to fix our propane fireplace last week.  It seemed to be fine at first, but the next morning I turned up the thermostat and a huge BANG scared the life out of me.  From what I have googled, this is called “delayed ignition” and there is no quick fix on our part, such as adjusting the pilot, and requires a technician.

Uh, we just had a technician last Thursday.  Banjo Man called the fireplace repair place and they are going to call us back.

We optimistically thought at first that the noise would stop.  But from what I’ve read it’s dangerous and could break the fireplace, especially the glass.

The problem?  We are most likely going to lose power during this storm.  A foot or two or three of snow plus 60 mph winds.  That’s a recipe for disaster.  So with no electric heat and no propane fireplace, our living area is going to be cold.

So we’ll move back to the basement to stay warm, except for trips upstairs to heat water and soup on the gas stove.  Thank goodness we have it!!!

We’ll be fine huddled around the propane stove, at least for a day or two.  We’ll be fine.  And who knows?  Maybe the power will stay on and we’ll roll merrily along as the snow piles up outside.

Today I am making banana bread.  And potato-corn-shrimp chowder in the crock pot.

It’s good to keep busy, otherwise I’d burst into tears every five minutes.  My coping skills are nonexistent this winter, I admit it.

On the upside:  I passed my annual cancer tests this week and am good for another year.