I remember asking friends and family before the storm if I was being too cavalier or if everyone else was overreacting in their preparations for Sandy. It has become exceedingly clear that I (along with others) did not take it as seriously as we should have. That night as I sat in our house watching our windows flex, feeling my ears pop, watching the trees outside bend at an almost 90° angle I realized that this was a majorly big deal. The winds were much stronger than they predicted and I just kept wishing it would stop.

We lost two big trees, and although one came within a few feet of the house, the only damage that we know of now is a broken fence. We’ll see what happens when the tree is removed. We were very lucky-four days without power, we lost a small amount of food, and some fencing was broken. 

Since we didn’t have power we couldn’t really see what was happening to the rest of the east coast. We couldn’t see how whole communities were being washed away, or burning to the ground. We couldn’t see the unnatural darkness of New York City. Now that we have seen it, I doubt I will be able to forget those images.

Again, it has taken a horrible, devastating act to put our experience in perspective-to remind me again for all of the things I am Thankful for. (If you are curious and missed the original Showing Thanks you can click here).

I am so, so, so very Thankful for my family and their safety. For my friends, their families and their safety. For my home, for the power that keeps it warm, allows for running water, the ability to flush a toilet.

I am Thankful for the fact that I was able to make Excellent Meatballs for my family tonight in my own kitchen (I HIGHLY recommend them! Here’s the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/excellent-meatballs-recipe/index.html. I don’t use the veal-I just use ¾ lb of ground beef and ¾ lb of ground pork. )

I am once again Thankful to our friends Allison and Steve for taking us in when our power was out. I hope that next October does not cement this as a yearly tradition.

I am Thankful for knowing that my parents are close enough that I can always take the kids there and they will be warm, fed, and loved.

Now for some more trivial things-I’ll just list them:

Flannel sheets

Wine in a box (Gato Negro-check it out-pretty high quality for a low price!)

Halloween candy

iPhones

Romance novels

Wool socks and slippers

New running clothes-kept me toasty warm today!

Sam Adams Winter Lager (hmmm….sensing a theme here)

Fresh packages of SAF-Red instant yeast

The internet-as heartbreaking as some of the images are, I am at least more aware of what has been happening. That isn’t trivial, but being able to go to People.com to take a break from the devastation and read about celebrity junk is helpful sometimes.

I am so incredibly Thankful that I live in America. Too many reasons to list. Super big one, though, is the way that the country has rallied around this area-and others-when they were hurting. I do believe in the basic goodness of people and that most people want to be able to help if they can. I have been astounded by the way just our community has come together to help each other as neighbors and how they have continued to do so by planning fundraisers and organizing relief efforts. It makes me want to be a better person-and I’m sure it is having that affect on others as well.

I am also so Thankful that I have the right and the ability to vote. Election day is coming up quickly and I hope that everyone else remembers that they, too, have the ability and the right to make their voices heard, and that they get their butts to the voting booths to exercise that right! Especially YOU, LADIES!!! Don’t forget that it wasn’t too long ago that we did not have the right to do that!!! VOTE!!!

I am Thankful that I have the chance to write this post-that I have a home to be in, a chair to sit on and a computer to record my thoughts. My heart goes out to all of you who have been affected by the Hurricane-especially tonight as the temperature gets colder.

I am Thankful that I have this group who is willing to listen to my thoughts. Please join me in Showing Thanks by donating to the Red Cross, any other reputable group, or a grass roots relief effort that is probably being set up as we speak in your very own town. We need to show our thanks for what we have by helping lift those up who lost so much.

Much love to you and yours!

http://www.redcross.org/