It happened again. After Hurricane Irene, we thought we wouldn’t see another major storm in the Northeast for a long time. Then the forecast showed Sandy, calling it names like “Frankenstorm”, “Storm of the Century” and “The Perfect Storm”. After the damage we suffered a year ago at Irene’s hands, I thought we’d be safe and better prepared. After all, we made it through 2011 with Irene and Winter Storm Alfred, and the major ice storms and blizzards of 2010. Who knew Mother Nature could show such wrath to the tri-state area with Sandy! The Suburban Farmgirl and her family are thanking their lucky horseshoes for surviving such a close call!
So glad to hear you and your family made it through the storm safely and the damage was confined to an area where you can handle its effects. Bless you all.
Thank you, Adrienne! – Nicole
Of Course! You have all been in my prayers since the beginning.
Thank you, every prayer matters! – Nicole
Dear Nicole,
After reading this very well done blog, I feel you have a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day! You still have your beautiful healthy child, your lives and your home. I would say a very big prayer to God, who was watching over all of you. I was your Girl Scout leader, so I must have been a good one, because you were very prepared!
Love you, always,Mother
Thanks, Momma! I can still hear you telling me to "Be Prepared!" Much love, Nicole
Wow, it does indeed look as if God himself laid that tree down. So glad to hear you are safe. ~Natalie at Tasha Tudor and Family, Inc.
Thank you, Natalie! It truly amazes me how close the trees were. We are so blessed, and on the bright side, have lots of firewood. -Nicole PS: Oh, I am such a fan of all things "Tasha Tudor". She was so amazing!
Hi Nicole! So glad you and your family and home are ok. Friends of ours in Stratford, Ridgefield, and Southbury made it through as well- but so many are still living in a nightmare. Our family is praying for all those who have a long road ahead of them to get back to some semblance of normal.
Would love to hear sometime about the things your family has done to live a simpler life that made storm preparations easier. We could all use help in that department!
Thanks for your great blog as usual!
Your fellow Yankee in Va- Meredith
Hi Meredith! So glad to hear your friends are all okay! Thank you for the writing suggestion…you got it, will do. Farmgirl hugs, Nicole
I’m glad you wrote about the storm y’all had. I can truly relate. Being down here in southeast Texas, hurricane season keeps us on our toes…As a first responder we not only see all of the devastation, but we are victims too. The destruction not only sends us back to living in the stone age, it has psychological effects on everyone. We don’t appreciate the luxuries we have till we lose them. Even today I have a hard time tossing out ice cubes after having a beverage. It sends me back to when you could not have anything cold. I hope the people effected by that storm recover quickly.
So true, and so well said. Thank you for the reminder, and thank you to all the first responders out there who, like you, risk your lives to help others. – Nicole
Nicole: Our prayers have been for all in the storms. God has blessed you with little damage. What a great Thanksgiving present.Thank you for letting us know we should be all prepared for whatever comes.
Thank you, Bonnie. Yes, our Thanksgiving gives us so much to be thankful for. My heart goes out to those who have lost so much. – Nicole
I am so happy to hear from you – sure been praying for you and all around you. We are starting to think more about having a PREPAREDNESS room in our basement – oh we have this n that but you really gave me lots of ideas of other things to have. I thank God all is well with you and will continue to pray for the others. God Bless.
Joan, how sweet. Thank you, your comment warms my heart. – Nicole
This made me cry. I’m so glad that you and your family are safe from harm’s way, so sad to hear of all those that weren’t so fortunate. Many prayers said, many prayers needed. Thanks for sharing.
Jody, thank you for your comment. It is mind-boggling, the damage, but the Northeast is filled with strong people who don’t give up! -Nicole
Nicole,
How fortunate we are to have power and homes to be in during this holiday season. Viewing your photographs made me think…how crazy this storm was and how lucky I am. A few downed trees and a few days without power, is small potatoes compared to what so many people have experienced. I loved seeing your daughter’s photo in among the more chaotic photos. It was just a moment in time that captured autumn’s perfection. I hope that you have a blessed thanksgiving.
Thank you, Valerie, and Thanksgiving blessings, to you, as well. -Nicole
I am glad that the damage you sustained from Hurricane Sandy is "fixable" and that everyone is okay. I just got back from 30 days in New York working with some of the survivors. The thing that struck me most, was the gratitude of each person that I talked to. Even if they had lost every item they owned, each one of them made it a point to say how blessed or lucky they were that they had their lives, their loved ones, etc. Not everyone was so fortunate because a lot of people did lose their lives and the healing will take a long time. The whole trip has given me a new outlook on life. I am grateful and want to make the most of each day that I have. Happy holidays to you and to your family.
Rebecca, thank you and Happy holidays to you, too. God bless you for your work! -Nicole