Last night I actually slept with the window open!  It was wonderful, something normal in a not-so normal world, to go to sleep listening to the rain… in November!  When I went to bed it was 45*, acceptable to me for having the window open.  This morning it’s 58*… windy, with the forecast of thunderstorms; but tomorrow the temp plummets to 30* and snow.  I guess when the power goes, and the internet goes, we will all know the weather the old fashioned way: step outside and look.  Right now I can see sunshine, a welcome sight, but over The Lake, there are blue-black clouds forming.

Sunday… now, I’m not a church goer, but it has occurred to me that the church might be the place to take the pulse of the community.  What a wake up!

I parked myself in the back pew of the Methodist Church.  I picked that one instead of the Catholic Church, for personal reasons, one of which is that I know the minister, Carolyn.  The buzz of course was the earthquakes being a punishment from God, the rest was the concern for limited supplies.  To give her credit, Carolyn emphasized the community banding together to take care of each other whenever and however possible.  Some of the people were ‘hand-wringers’ and some were downright hostile, and it was surprising to me to see which side some were on.  It didn’t surprise me that Vinnie was hostile, but it did surprise me to see him even in church.  Carl has always been gruff, but a take charge kind of guy; however he and Carla were on the side of the hand-wringers.  Many were concerned about how they were going to eat, which gave me an idea.  I left a note in the collection plate for Carolyn to contact me, and I slipped out the back, unnoticed.

Back home for lunch, I find I really miss the combination of a meat soup with veggies, so I came up with an acceptable compromise.  For lunch, I poured one jar of turkey soup into the pan and one jar of canned green beans, mixed them up, then ladled half of it back into one of the empty pints, for soup tomorrow.  Now I don’t feel so denied.  I’ve got all this food I grew and canned for myself and I’m finding it very difficult to NOT eat what I want to.  It’s very frustrating for me, but I know it’s necessary.  Tonight is linguini with clam sauce and mussels from the freezer, all from storage.  I have to keep eating from the freezer!