Welcome to My Blog

Welcome to my blog! My hope is to pass along ideas you will enjoy using in your homes and in your lives. No, I am not Oprah, giving you life advice or Nate Berkus redoing your pantry. My point of view is more practical if not occasionally foo-foo. Decorating should be fun and you should change your decor often. My ideas and vintage finds will help you do just that. Oh, and you may get some fun personal and family stories. We are a small family but we do a lot!



Since I started my blog a couple of years ago, I find I am writing more about "ideas" for your life. Or at least, things that happen in my life! Hopefully I put a smile on your face and help you set your dinner table.




Monday, October 29, 2012

Sandy, A Fall Day's Diversion


Here it is the end of October, almost Halloween. What is this sweet Sandy the Hurricane doing visiting the East Coast? The leaves were beautiful and even with temperatures in the 80's there was that little touch of Fall in the air. Now pow! The wind and the rain have stripped the trees of the Fall color and that touch of Fall is now almost a Winter blast! Snow is coming to the mountains. Floods have hit the beaches. And parts of Manhattan evacuated. This is not the Fall of my childhood. This is too complicated for me. Well, fiddle-dee-dee. When Sandy brings lemons I'll make Lemon Martinis! Here are a few tips and suggestions to pass the time.

Puddles. Here is a classic Fall puddle. You can watch 
the leaves float around. You can throw an acorn in
the puddle and watch the ripples. Best of all, you
can jump in the puddle and splash 'til your hearts
content.


If you are fortunate (or perhaps, unfortunate) enough to be on a body of water, you can watch the water rise.
Here a handy tip from Mary Lisa. If you find yourself caught in a "Natural" disaster such as a hurricane or an earthquake, you might make your self the Emergency Management Apron. This is the one I have for both East Coast disasters and West Coast events. It's just a simple little apron with a few pockets. The contents are basic needs but feel free to add your own preferences.

I have first and foremost a flashlight with fresh batteries. Since I have enough trouble seeing when the lights are on you can imagine what a mess I'm in the dark. Everyone in the family should have their own personal flashlight. A few extra large ones should be scattered around the house, like bathrooms that may have no windows.

Next I have a bottle of St. Germain Liqueur. It is good for snake bites, broken bones or just spritz a little in a glass of Champagne. You can supply whatever suits your fancy but I think it is important to keep a fun yet sophisticated air to this disaster.

You can never have too many Kleenex so stick a pocket pack in one of the slots. Candles should already be placed around your house in safe places. Votives in heavy cups are good. I have a collection of hurricane lamp chimneys that I bought in Colonial Williamsburg years ago. There are always a few sitting around with candlesticks filled with candles. This is a good time to use them in a practical way. And keep some matches handy.

Last and perhaps most important, your cell phone. Keep it charged and keep it handy.


Food supplies for a "Natural" disaster

So now on to the food supplies. There are apparently certain non-perishable staples one should have on hand for "Natural" events. Here I have prepared a table with what I am told are all the essentials you need to see you through a hurricane. Lets look closer.

There is water, lots of water. I believe one gallon per day per person is the rule. Well, I bought a case of individual bottles and that will have to do it for our family. I know at home on the Rancho we fill the bathtubs with water if we know of an oncoming event. Frankly with a dog and a cat in the house, the usefulness of that water is questionable.
Don't forget a manual can opener. You are about to eat all these yummy foods cold because there is no power. That means there is also no electric can opener.

Food-stuffs.....everyone says buy Spam so I bought Spam. Now that I have it I'm not sure what to do with it. My mother never used it. My husband has no experience with it. Now the point here is to be able to prepare a meal without the use of a stove, refrigerator or microwave. So I guess you just open the can and slice it up. We could do a Cobb Salad with Spam rather than ham.I have seen pictures of Spam-Ka-
Bobs. Oh, just the sound of that upsets me.

I also bought tuna- lots of tuna, corned beef hash and the all time Southern favorite for any occasion, Vienna Sausages. Who can survive without them? Do you know they now come in Chicken Vienna
Sausages, Vienna Sausages with Barbecue Sauce, Vienna Sausage Lite. Of all the crazy Southern recipes that have been passed along to me from family and friends, I have never received a recipe that uses these mysterious hunks of "meat." Who knows what they are made of anyway and I doubt that Vienna, Austria had anything to do with their development.

To go with our array of canned meats I have a can of Campbell's Pork 'n Beans. Don't they go with everything? You may also notice there are a few of those little airline size bottles of various adult type beverages. I have always wanted to have a party where the centerpiece was a huge sterling punch bowl filled with ice and hundreds of those little bottles. My husband says everyone would get sick from "mixing" their alcohol. But isn't that just the cutest idea you've ever heard? In this time of "disaster" why not have a little nip with your Spam?

Once again, the table would not be complete without the cell phone. We are fortunate to have this wonder of technology and during this time of stress it is good to know friends, family and help are just a call away.
Almost forgot, paper plates, napkins and plastic utensils. The dishwasher is not working so just toss these after use. I personally do not have any plastic cups so I will be using this crystal Martini glass with palm trees etched in it. It works for me.

Two items I have not mentioned on the "Disaster" table are a tiny butter melting chaffing dish. I suppose in this time of "making-do" you could stick a candle under the pot and heat something or at least melt the butter that is already melting in the non-operative fridge.
The other item is the OMG pillow. You will want it to put under your weary head when all this is over!