Normal

For us life returned to normal.  Work (which also wasn't damaged), commute (slightly harder because of some closed exits), evenings (TV), all back to 'regular schedule'.
For a lot of people it is still not back to normal.  Floods - the rivers are cresting NOW - closed roads because of flooding or damage, no electricity, no, we're still not all  the way back.  Just some lucky 'us'.

The walk around the pond is interrupted by a taped off area, some trees are ready to fall, and need to be taken down.  Not safe.  Some dark areas there as well.  And lucky, lucky me that that is the only inconvenience!

We had planned to go to Windham, NY for the weekend.  I still don't know if we will, since there was a terrible flood in Windham.  The house we want to stay at is not affected at all, it's just will we be able to get there?  No idea yet, we'll find out!

post hurricane

While the hurricane roared through the area, we slept.  I woke up briefly, went to look at the trees waving in the wind, listened to the rain, and went back to bed.  Sometime during the night the electricity went out.
We woke up to rain and wind, not bad, though.  We went for a what we thought short ride around the neighborhood, which ended up a little more extensive, we got coffee, and checked out which shops where open.  We lazed around the house, decided what else we needed, went and got it, and went home again.
And waited for the power to be restored.  That happened sometime in the middle of the night, after we heard our neighbors struggling with a generator.
We did go for a walk, to my usual pond, a little bit around town,
All my kids are/were fine.

I just got back from my walk.  I only walked partway around the pond, it was still dark, and the power isn't restored in that section of town yet.  And I met another walker, who told me that the other (dark) side was strewn with debris, and that he fell twice.  No need for that!  And I feel very grateful and lucky.

Here are some fun pictures from yesterday, some from the man-made lake nearby, water spilling over the dam and kids having fun sliding down the embankment:

Doesn't that look like fun?  Okay, not the kind 'I have to mop up the basement  because there is water in it' kind of fun.
Seen on our walk yesterday:

I'm off to work!

And thank you to my little brother, who called yesterday morning from Germany to ask how we were doing, and after checking on the Internet, told us what was going on in the world, since we had no power, no Internet, no email....
And Bon Voyage to my cousin, who will be going on a cruise on Wednesday, which sound just wonderful!

Irene --- our expected hurricane

Life is normal for us so far.  It's Friday, he already went to work, I will go as soon as I share my thoughts and a recipe here.
Someone asked for the chicken pot pie recipe, and here it is.  We use P.ilsbury pie crust, ready made, it can't be beat.

1/3 cup butter or chicken fat
1/3 cup flour (all purpose)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken or turkey broth
2/3 cup milk (we used cream)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas and carrots (we used peas only - just because)

Heat butter over low heat until melted, blend in flour, onion, salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mix is mooth and bubbly, remove from heat.
Stir in broth and milk (we used extra liquid, since we like it moist).  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Stir in chicken and frozen vegetables, reserve.
This is where I filled the ready-made pie crust.  If you need a recipe for pie crust, drop me a note!
Oh, and Bake at 425 F oven until crust is brown.  Oh, and you know about putting a top on the filling and fluting it?  Yes?  You're all set!  Oh, and if you have someone creative in your life, hand them the pie before putting it in the oven, and ask them to make the vent holes.  See what may happen?

Bon Appetite!

Forgot to talk about Irene.  So far - ho hum, we'll see what happens.  We're supposed to have the garage sale tomorrow, it depends on when the hurricane hits, before we make up our minds, I guess.

Chicken pot pie

We made chicken pot pie last night.  The last few days it has been just beautiful, cool nights, not too hot during the day, 'normal' weather.  I'm sure the heat and humidity will come back with a vengeance before summer's end, but for a bit we can move easy.
And turn on the stove, bake a chicken, and then make pot pie.
Look at the pot pie!

 the creator of the face

 the finished pie

and the inside - yummy!

Earthquake, hurricane, wasps, what else?

The earthquake that was felt on the East Coast yesterday didn't bother us much.  I didn't feel it, I was in the car. My daughter, who was in the office, was dizzy, and didn't know what was happening until later.  My son and family, who live in Maryland, are fine.  The others were/are in Canada at Niagara Falls.
Big excitement, not much to it.
The bees are still around, despite being sprayed with chemicals.  Even in the evening and early morning they are flying around.  I can't go near, because of allergies.  Hmm.  Try Home Depot for stronger chemicals?

We'll be having a garage sale this weekend.  Since there will be changes in my house, I'm going through closets, and deciding what else can go.  Living in a house for over 30 years, one accumulates a lot of stuff, especially when one has a passion for garage sales (me)!  Well, I did limit myself to the house, refusing to consider storing things in the attic, reason being that if one person living in a house by herself can't store her stuff in said house without spilling over, she should be considered being a hoarder.
Speaking of hoarding, I had to laugh when a friend of mine said she watched a whole afternoon's worth of the hoarding show, and ended up cleaning out her kitchen!  Talk about an effective show!

More rigorous checking of my abode is required.  I have stuff in the garage, meant for donation, I'll lug it to the garage sale (which will not be at my house), and donate the left-overs later.  Making room.....