the past 48 hours

 

the ugly:
no electricity, internet or phone : no dry firewood left for heat (it is April, afterall) : a foot of water in the basement : 30 trash bags (and counting) of ruined basement stuff : one tree on the house (no damage) : flooded roads and beloved trails : trees down all around : the stomach flu (just Mama) : lots and lots of cleanup for friends and neighbors much worse off than us : emerging from it all to such sad news : feeling cold, wet, sick, sad, and grumpy

the beautiful:
no electricity, internet or phone : many games of checkers : favorite books by candlelight : embroidery until sunset : a soon-to-be immaculate basement : enough firewood now lying about to last through the upcoming winter (and maybe next?) : awe and humility at the strength of the Earth : feeling incredibly grateful and blessed for what we have

More photos on Flickr. I'll be back in a few days...I've got some drying, cleaning, and warming to do!

Comments

[Stacey O'Connor]

So sorry for the mess you are dealing with. We too are on the coast, just a tree through a windshield. I just keep reminding myself that no one was hurt - it helps a little with the grumpies. Hope you warm up and cheer up soon!!

[betsy]

Yes, the ugly and the beautiful. It is a struggle sometimes to find the beauty in the ugly but you always manage to do it with such grace. Love to you during the clean-up. xoxo

[Meredith]

Sending all the warmth and comfort I can! Hope you all get back to normal soon. Take care!

[tara]

Hello. I'm delurking to tell you that the photo of the tree just stuns me. It looks like a toy. The power of the earth is amazing. Best of luck that the clean up goes smoothly.

[Mim]

Hi, I'm also delurking. That tree looks like it just had to take it's grassy blankie with it. Good luck on the clean up.

[Eren]

Oh, when you were "absent" I wondered about you all. Glad you are OK and can see the good as well as the bad. Hope you all dry out soon. Blessings to you al today.

[Alicia A.]

Wow- Amanda, take care of yourselves.

[heather]

good luck amanda, finding the light through the darkness, i just wrote about it. i don't know about you but we are supposed to hit mid 60's with clear skies this weekend. hope that reaches you as well.

can i just say that a mama having the stomach flu while the power is out...that just seems cruel!

[Catherine]

So glad you are all safe and well. So sorry about the basement. Your attitude is wonderful and I have never seen anything like that tree picture - the ground must be so unbelievably saturated. Can they stand it back up?

[Amy]

We lucked out in this storm. Our power and internet were ok and the phone was only out for a few hours. But those 50+ mph winds destroyed our row covers in the garden and took down a LOT of trees and we also are on our last dry logs--but wood is our main heat! That tree you photographed is amazing.

[Julie]

What a picture of the fallen tree! Here In NY, we were also without power... but thankfully no flooding. Hope your basement cleanup goes smoothly.

[Alison Love]

i was getting worried b/c i hadn't seen you blog for a few days. i'm so glad to hear that you're all safe.

[Beth TigerMoon]

So sorry to hear the storm hit you all with such results. Be well, and take care as you clean and recover.

[Alina]

What a rough couple of days but wonderful that there was still happiness thru this storm....glad there was not too much damage for you guys. That tree pic is really crazy. Hope things start settling down for your fam, friends, and neighbors.

[Beth]

Dude!

Here I have been feeling sorry for us here in Halifax with rain and cold and wind and gray, dreary skies....even with the storm surge warnings we have been under we had NOTHING to compare to this!

And the flu to top it off!

Take care, snuggle up and recover!

[hannah]

i was wondering how you all were doing. glad you are making the best of it. keep warm!

[jennifer]

(((hugs))) from all of us.
my folks went through a similar experience a few years ago and reacted much the same. creativity and enjoyment develops wonderously when least expected. peace and calm to you and yours - it seems you haven't lost your most precious spirits. :-)

[lera]

WOW! Glad you're okay.

I can't believe that photo of the fallen tree and grass. It looks unreal with the grass sliced off the earth like that.

[lisa]

darlin, wow. i am in NY and we got the rain, but this?? insane. i loved this post and the attitude you have about what you are grateful for. cheers.

[Blair]

oh Amanda I'm so sorry. What a mess, but as usual, you have seen the brighter side of a yucky situation. hugs to you and your family while you clean up and get back on track. xo

[tammigirl]

I have never seen a tree pull up the grass that way, WOW!

Congrats on seeing the beauty in the ugly.

My road has a river running across it. I have to roll down my car windows each time I cross 'cuz I fear I may end up down river sideways. *sigh*. ILOVEMAINE!!!!

[Wendy]

Oh Amanda, these are amazing photos. I used to live in Portland, Maine...can't believe how hard you got hit! You have a wonderfully positive attitude (my mom used to say "Making lemonade from lemons"). Hope everything will be cleaned up soon; and glad the tree on the house didn't damage it!

[Mary-Ellen]

Feel better Amanda!
Thank God everyone
is well and no damage
to the house!

Rest and lots of tea!

Mary-Ellen

[Melissa!]

Love you look on life. Be warm & safe.

[JessicaT]

I was wondering about you all!!! So glad that you are doing okay!

[Kathleen]

I too am amazed by the tree photo. The grass looks like a carpet thrown over the roots.
Glad to hear you're all ok.

[stephanie]

oh no! wishing you drier/warmer days.

[bgirl]

I am constantly inspired by your outlook on everything from tragedy to the mundane. What an amazing person you are. Thank you for letting me get a peek into your perspective.

[Beth]

So glad to hear everyone is ok...the material things can always be replaced...or it was a sign that it was time to purge. Trying to find the positive is hard to do sometimes, but it's great to see you're in the good state of mind for it!

[katja]

Oh! I´m so glad to hear you are ok. We are wishing you strenght and warmth and laughter to overcome the cleaning.

[Heather in Washington State, USA]

I feel your pain. We went through this in December, and it got into the 40's in our house for lack of heat. We were bailing buckets and siphoning water in the wee hours of the night. But the kids enjoyed the adventure, and the cold allowed us to dip into a lot of woolly sweaters that would usually be too hot to wear in the house.

I hope none of your photos/craft projects got wet!

[Shaylind]

Very happy to hear you are all safe.

[Viv]

Best of luck in the cleanup and feel better! My little family was lucky to keep our power but Brunswick in general was hardest hit - 30,000 without power I think I heard. Wonderful photos of the power of nature.

[vicky]

Glad to hear you are all safe. I so admire your ability to see the good in things!

[Amber]

Oh, I wondered how you were doing when I didn't see a post yesterday and heard the news of the big storm. We have our bouts with Mother Nature's fury over here on the West Coast but not usually this time of year. Whole hearted warm and comforting thoughts are going your way for getting through all of this! Summer is right around the corner... really, it is!

[Siri]

Powerful and haunting and bizarre, those top pics and the ones over at Flickr. You've had SUCH crazy weather this spring!
Way to look for that silver lining. Your house has such beautiful light, even when the power is down.

[meg]

yuck - sorry about your basement (and tree and stomach bug). my kids just talked me into driving to deering oaks to see that tree up close. so amazing!

and we, too, were playing cards and checkers and chess by candlelight the other night. well, mostly the kids and john because it was mostly chess and i, sadly, don't know how to play chess. i should really learn...

hope you are staying warm + dry.

[Mama Urchin]

That tree photo is incredible. I'm glad you all are safe and warming up.

[loribird]

My husband was out in the Jonesport area looking at our new house (Squeee, moving to Maine!!!), and I thought about you as he told me about the storm coming (he holed up in Bangor.) Glad you're safe, warm, and that you guys made the best of the storm
That photo of the tree drawing up the sod is amazing! Mother Nature is so fascinating!

[Allison]

Oh man. We had a smiliar storm on Seattle right before Christmas. No power for 4 days. And it was COLD! That's hard with little ones.

I'm feeling for you and hoping for some sunshine soon. So glad you are all OK and no major damage to your house. That is good news.

[brit]

In a selfish way I look forward to being forced to stay home when bad weather hits. I like not having the obligations of going here and there and the quiet that comes with electricity being out. I enjoy my creature comforts too (hello internet) but every once in a while when Mother Nature makes me take that step back, I appreciate her even more.

[annette]

So sorry to hear about your flooding and flu! We used to enjoy a cabin in the woods where loss of power was pretty consistent (although that meant loss of water since it was pumped from a well, and that was less romantic). We kept the fire going, melted snow, lit candles, lanterns and headlamps... I love that you are looking forward to a clean basement! And now you'll probably need to start filling it with new finds... And yes, perspective is always a good thing in such situations; there is so much worse than loss of stuff (as mucha as we may feel attached). Talk to you soon.

[m]

That must have been so frightening for you and the little ones. I'm glad to hear that you are all fine. Good luck with the clean up!

[homemakerang]

folks, but she still crafts! God bless you, glad to hear you toughed out the storm... The children will remember this special time forever (you might want to forget some of it but as the years grow it will be reflected as a unforgetable time...) xx

[Grace]

I am really awestruck by the second photo. The way the grass is torn up ... it doesn't even look real. I'm sure it all feels very surreal to *you*. Blessings on you, your family, and all your neighbors & friends who are dealing with the same!

Oh, and I was happy to see that you added "Pearls Before Breakfast" to your inspiring list. A classical cellist, I absolutely loved this when I first saw it last week. We had the Bach Chaconne that Joshua Bell began his performance with played at our wedding. It's not only very beautiful, but there is the symbolism behind it (as described in the article), too. Anyway, so glad that this is coming to everyone's attention!

[Anna- Seattle, WA]

Dear Amanda,

Like many of the above comments, your views on situations are amazing a wonderful. Way to go! I understand how you feel about your trees, my family lost three in the windstorm that hit Washington in December. One of which crushed both our cars. I was stunned and thankful it wasn't the house!
Blessings on your family!

[Rebecca]

Such lovely images from a not so lovely experience. I can't stop staring at the fallen tree with grass pulled away from the ground as if it were carpet. I love how you are looking at the good and the bad. Such a great mindset.

[tracy]

be well. sending some socal sunshine your way... xo

[Amy / Girl's Life]

Thanks for this -- for your beautiful perspective on life today!

[sarah]

Amanda and family...
I never knew what a nor'easter was. we here in the northwest got slammed like this in december, and it is devastating to see your friend the tree lying on the ground like that, isn't it? I certainly hope that you will all be warm and dry and comfy soon. when we lost power i had to keep reminding myself of Ma and Pa Ingalls--what would Ma do? Handwork! And a little fiddle playing by candle light is a wonderful thing. Blessings to you