Here on the East Coast of the U.S. where I live, we are preparing for Hurricane Sandy to arrive in a day or two.
What this has meant for us in the past is downed trees, flooded basements, and no electricity (anywhere from a few hours to one week).
The usual preparations have been made:
getting the flashlights out, buying bottled water (last year our tap water was contaminated) and food, charging all electronic devices, putting the garden furniture inside, going for long walks with my dog, etc.
Some of the preparations:
If we do lose electricity, it will give me an opportunity to try out my new reading headlamp.
I will curl up in bed and read during the storm and try not think about any possible damage to the house or garden.
And I will remind myself that there is always sun after the rain!…… Here’s a photo I took of a couple of squirrels sunbathing on my damaged Magnolia tree after last year’s October storm…
reading interrupted. 
It would give you a nice environment for reading… Good luck and I hope the storm passes easily.
Happy reading.
Thanks!
Yes, in a way it could be quite cozy, under a blanked and curled up with a good book.
Hey there, I just wanted to check up on you… I hope you’re doing well with the storm.
No electricity but family and I are safe. Thank you for asking, very touched!
It is already in the news over here. Be careful, take care.
‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy… pretty heavy and terrifying stuff to read through the storm!
Thanks, Herman; hopefully it will be less powerful than they are predicting.
I was thinking that ‘The Road’ would be sufficiently heavy to distract me from the storm! Maybe I should go with something lighter instead? hahaha 🙂
Be safe…
Thanks; hopefully it will be less strong than they are predicting!
Take care. Be safe and enjoy the read/ride!
Thanks; let’s hope it’s not too much of an adventure!
Good luck and happy hunting for blog material. As an ex-Wash. DC guy who lived through various hurricanes there years ago, I’ll be interested in hearing of your account. Should be exciting.
Hopefully not too exciting:) As you know from your own experience, it’s hard to know ahead of time. The weather reports always sound so apocalyptic. And sometimes the storms are just heavy rain storms and sometimes they are, indeed, terrible storms (like the one we had last year). Anyway, we’re prepared for either, what else can you do?
Enjoy the weather
Thanks 🙂
It looks like you are well prepared. The head lamps work great and I’m sure will give you comfort during a long reading session. Let’s just hope you don’t need any of it.
Yes, I’ve been told the head lamp works surprisingly well! (I hope I won’t need to use it either!) Thanks for the words of comfort 🙂
Stay safe and use this as an excuse to read, read, read!
Sounds perfect! 🙂
Good luck w the storm!!!!
Grazie, my dear friend!! I can’t wait to see you!!!
rainy days are the best reading days. stay safe.
So true. Thank you, I will!
I continue my reading during the tempest – a cyclone – …inside my house sensing the drops rain and winds with a little battery spot light.
I like that image. A lone reader, one small light. In the middle of a tempest.
“It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable” – Seneca Add to this your books, your light and Lindt Chocolate (impeccable taste, by the way) and you’re pretty much set, I’d say! Best of luck – look forward to hearing how it has all gone in due course. Make sure you let us all know that you are ok asap please.
Wonderful quotation! I will write it on a notecard and use it as my bookmark for the next few days!
I’ll let you know how it all turns out (if we lose electricity, it may take some time). Thank you for the kind thoughts 🙂
Some extra reading time would be nice but I don’t know what my kids will have to say about that.
I forget how old they are, but have they read the Choose Your Own Adventure books? They would be perfect for riding out the storm! Good luck with everything and stay safe.
My older boy is 8 and the younger is nearly 6. They both love reading but there is only so long they will do it on their own during the day.
That’s true; they can’t spend the day reading like adults can!
Following the storm here on the Connecticut shoreline. Hope it’s milder than expected. Stay dry,
Me too; let’s keep our fingers crossed! Big hug (to D. too)!
Every cloud has a silver dust jacket. Stay safe.
silver dust jacket! wonderful!! 🙂
I love your new post, it puts a freshness to everyone’s preparations for the storm…! I love the reading lamp on the Greek head and the squirrels on the magnolia! Let’s all have a great reading storm!
Let’s all share the great books we read over this stormy week!
So glad you put first things first when you were preparing, and walked the dog!
I hope it passes you without too much damage or inconvenience… I used to rather enjoy that battened down feeling during typhoons in Hongkong – a mixture or excitement, anticipation, apprehension and anxiety! but somehow pleasurable… I must be a masochist!
But enjoy your good book and good chocolate anyway!
It’s true, one must walk the dog first! I figured that even if the storm is less severe than anticipated, it’s still going to be a rainy week so I wanted to go for a few wonderful long walks with her before.
Oh, Valerie, I just love your writing! Your description of the anticipation of the typhoons in Hong Kong has hit the nail on the head and described my feelings exactly. There is some excitement and anxiety at the same time (and some hope that the heart of the storm will just turn east into the ocean and pass us by as it has done so many times in the past!).
You seen prepared and that’s a great start. I went through one of these a few years back and it’s very scary indeed. Stay safe and I’m really hoping it misses you!
Thanks, me too!
I loooove curling up on my bed and reading till my eyes are sore, when it is pouring outside… It gives me such great satisfaction… Hope you have an awesome time reading, and stay dry and safe!!
Hugs,
Sumithra.
I know, reading when it’s raining out is particularly satisfying, isn’t it? Thanks, Sumithra!
Thank goodness you have the essential provision–chocolate! Stay safe and dry.
Chocolate and books: key survival items! Thanks, Tom!
Sending safe hugs your way right this instant! P.S. I would have the same survival kit: chocolate, books, and pets. Also, we’re all going to need to see a picture of you with that headlamp on for the post-Hurricane update post. Again, safe wishes!
Thanks, Britt! Had to restrain myself from opening the chocolate last night (“save it for the storm, save it for the storm”).
Absolutely. : )
Looks like you’ve got yourself covered. Love the reading lamp, and Lindt is the perfect chocolate indulgence. =D
All set to ride out the storm….
I know you’re a chocolate expert (I remember your birthday cakes!) so knew you would appreciate the Lindt 🙂
Stay safe, pretty Letizia! I love the reading light– have one myself and it last for hours!
Thanks, That’s good to know!
Hoping the storm will be only a mild instead of a wild time
Me too 🙂
I have never experienced a serious storm in my life. I just hope it passes your place without making any problems. Meanwhile, have a good time reading.
P.S:- Does the choice of picking up that apocalyptic novel has anything to do with the storm? 🙂
Thanks!
I have a selection of books and have been meaning to read The Road so thought this would be an interesting time to do so. But I may change my mind in a few hours 🙂
what a way to ride the storm out! love the chocolate forthought, make sure you are in a room with good screens, cause headlamps attract bugs to your eyeballs!
It’s too chilly here for bugs, but I’ll keep that in mind for future summer storms! I never would have thought of that (I suspect you learned the hard way – must have been painful and annoying!).
It’s great how you can turn a storm into a positive. Happy reading and stay safe.
Thanks!
Ti penso. Buona fortuna e un bacio.
Grazie Tania!!!
I am writing out the storm.
“writing out the storm” Love it! Happy writing and stay safe and dry!
I hope you remain safe and out of harm’s way. Hurricanes are no fun! Been there, done that….
Thanks, hopefully we won’t have too much damage. Am already eyeing the weather report for the weekend which is predicting sun so that will give us some rest from the rain and time to clean everything up 🙂
Stay safe! Where I am it is not as bad as the apocalyptic reports would predict 🙂
That’s good to hear! Stay safe and warm nonetheless 🙂
Ow, Letizia, I do hope you are safe and the storm will pass over you. Do take care. 🙂
Was a tough storm but am safe. Thanks for the sweet words 🙂
Crikey, you get food poisoning for a weekend and everything goes mental. Hope you are keeping safe and warm. The Road is definitely a nice bleak book to get into. Enjoy, as much as you can with the storm and the depressing air of bleakness that hits you from the pages.
Staying as warm as I can (no electricity yet….) but have been reading a lot by the fireplace!
Any excuse to read! It’s like you conjured up a natural disaster just for the excuse, although that would make you a goddess.
Even I wouldn’t take my passion for reading that far 🙂
I hope you are alright Ma’m !
Am safe, still without electricity and the town is a mess but things could have been much worse so we are lucky really.
Love the Lindt bar. Next emergency I’m having you pack me. Books, headlamp, and chocolate.
And they all turned out to be essentials 🙂