(A note about the storm, prior to the list.  We have not had electricity for four six days, and the power company says it could be another week or more until it is restored.  It is easy to get caught up in the hype, to complain about the long lines at the gas pumps, the lack of Emergency Relief, and the absence of heat and hot water in our homes.  We lost a few trees, but we did not lose our home or our family, so we will count our blessings, be thankful, and keep those who are truly suffering in our thoughts and prayers.  Amen!)

While it may have been the worst weather we have had in the past year, Hurricane Sandy left some good in its wake in our home.  Here is a list of the Top Ten Good Things we received as a result of Hurricane or Tropical Storm Sandy.

1.  Feeling Lucky – Without electricity for a week, our electric bill will be lower.  Woo hoo!

2.  Feeling Blessed – We have a generator so we have alternating heat and hot water, and gasoline to power the generator is still available in our area.  Nothing says happiness like a hot shower!

3.  Fortunate – My father-in-law sent us a box of sunshine from Florida – kumquats and Satsuma Mandarin oranges from the trees in his yard.  He picked the fruit two days ago.  It doesn’t get much fresher than that!  No scurvy in our house during this storm.

4.  Fun – There was time to play paper-dolls-for-adults on Polyvore, for the 15 minutes that we had generator power and Internet service simultaneously.  Here is my outfit for rainy day, post-Sandy, errand-running.

5.  Family – We played games, and we painted pictures, often by candle or lantern light.  Forced, family fun without any electronics!

Many, many games of Kings in the Corners…

and we painted flowers…

and landscapes…

and more landscapes.

6.  Friends – We have great friends, some who live within a mile or two, and they have power.  Many invited us to take advantage of their electricity and hot water, but more importantly, they invited us to share the warmth of their homes and their food.  You know how I feel about food – celebrate, indulge in it!  Many thanks to our generous friends for sharing delicious, hot meals!

7.  Food – When we were not dining on delicious food with our friends, we ate a lot of cold cereal, fruit (fresh, canned, and some pressed and bottled), cheese, raw veggies, and sandwiches.  My son made us hot soup on the camp stove for lunch one day.  Canned soup never tasted to good!  Thanks to my son and to Progresso.

Regarding breakfast, please note that it is possible to toast bread over a candle, but I highly recommend using an unscented candle.

8.  Familiarity –  The teenagers, who will walk two stores ahead of me at the mall so as not to be seen with their mother, were willing to snuggle on the couch with me to keep warm.  That may have been because I was in charge of the distribution of blankets, but either way, it was nice to sit close to them again.

9.  A French Find – And for my French Twist on this post… I had plenty of time to go through that stack of mail and magazines that sits on the desk and reproduces faster than rabbits.  While perusing the latest JCP (formerly known as JC Penney) flyer, I was surprised to find a minaudière (French word) by Monet (French company).  A minaudière is a small box or clutch with a hinge, usually gold, silver, or bejeweled, that can hold a cell phone, keys and other small items.  It was created by Van Cleef & Arpels (originally a French company) in the 1930s.  It’s really French!  C’est vraiment français!

10.  Fresh Start – It’s been a week since the pre-hurricane storm clouds rolled in and we haven’t seen blue sky since, until this morning.  A sunrise never looked so perfect as it did today.  The sky wasn’t blue for very long, but it was lovely while it lasted.  Hope this post finds you and your family safe and warm.

FTW