And So It Begins ...

Stolen from my sister and lots of other people on facebook.

A winter Nor'easter is predicted for much of the east coast in the coming days. We are supposed to have heavy snow, possible ice, and strong winds between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. Snow amounts I've seen so far have ranged between 6 and 32 inches (really!) but I'm sure we'll see more accurate predictions by tomorrow. Meteorologists seems to agree that wind gusts may reach 40 - 60 mph, leading to downed power lines, especially if they have snow and ice on them. This is a rude awakening since we've been skipping merrily through a mild winter. So, like everyone else in the Northeast, I'm starting my storm preparations. 

• First and foremost, go to the grocery store. My clever plan includes going today, well before the Thursday and Friday onslaught for everything I think we might need.
• Do not forget a trip to the liquor store. It will be more crowded than the grocery store, so go early with a list.
• Fill the gas cans. This is cans, plural, a lesson we learned the hard way during Sandy when we were without electricity for five days. Make sure you have plenty of fuel for both the snowblower and the generator. 
• Be very grateful that your 22-year-old son has moved back home while he is looking for a job and will be a huge help with snowblowing and shoveling. 
• Prepare emergency storm food. These are things you can warm up if you still have electricity, but also eat easily if the power goes out. My usuals are chicken noodle soup, several loaves of bread, lots of muffins, and calzones. 
• Put a supply of wood in the root cellar where it will be dry and accessible for fires in the fireplace.
• Charge all the things that need to be charged - phone, ipod, Kindle, rechargeable flashlights. 
• Enjoy that snow day sense of anticipation (as much as possible).
• Prepare your reading. Make sure you have plenty of books on your ipod, Kindle, and the good old fashioned kind that doesn't require electricity. 
• Make sure you have enough knitting. I ordered some yarn that I hope will be delivered on Friday. This wasn't really part of my storm preparations but I believe the National Weather Service has advised that sport weight alpaca for warm fingerless mitts is the measure of true preparedness.

How do you prepare for winter storms? I haven't made French toast in quite a while, so it sounds like a delicious Saturday breakfast idea. Time to head out for lots of bread, milk, and eggs!