February 14, 2007

“WHAT’S COOKIN’?”

VALENTINE Northeaster, HELP! & Down in the Couch

Valentine’s Day fills me with mixed feelings, as it was the day I lost Richard to ALS in 1997. That will always be there in my mind, but this year I was planning a surprise for Joe. His life has been hard too. It is Valentine’s Day and the news is warning all of a Northeaster coming our way tonight. My son called early and told me to expect the storm. It was a definite. The sky didn’t look good as I left for work and if it comes, it will spoil my surprise for Joe.

Not too long ago, I found a gift certificate for dinner at “Portabella’s” that had been missing since before Irwin passed away. He became ill and we never used it and so it was missing. I was going over his catch all drawers and there it was in a plain envelope. I thought it would be nice to just go out and enjoy and think of the future. As it turned out we didn’t go anywhere for Valentine’s Day, the snow began mid afternoon. The ride home was hairy. . ”You better just stay here tonight. It could get bad,” he said firmly.

It snowed, and snowed and snowed and by morning, we were snowed in good and proper. We both bundled up and out we went. Joe discovered that the plow that he had readied for use was FROZE! We shoved and shoveled and the wind blew and blew. We were in trouble. There were no signs of life. The plow did not come and we couldn’t see where it was or even the driveway. This lasted three days. Everyone was snowed in.

I called Hazel McShane and when I asked how she was, she said I am on the floor. . .Before my call was done; the Hospice helper came and was able to get her up. Thank GOD I called Doug Finger, Joe’s buddy, and he had left on a Mission of Mercy. Sooo that was it.

I talked to my daughter, Wendy in Rome and she said that they had had two foot of snow earlier and now they had five! Her hubby managed to clear a way for her to get to work at 7:00AM! When she goes there was just a handful or fellow worker. Executives didn’t get there till 9:00am and then they told everyone to go home. Andy’s driveways were plugged and his plow was down too. My youngest son, Mark, said that Oneonta was a disaster. Plows were working hard to open roads, but in doing so, plugged driveways, some of which had been shoveled out. People were walking down the street in numbers. Emergency vehicles would not have been able to get out. Then news came that the “Lord’s Table”, a volunteer, community based, free meal service feeding 100 or more folks Monday through Friday evening, had been vandalized and closed. Things were not good. Slowly, ever so slowly, things began to move. Neighbors were helping neighbors.

Here at Joe’s place, we continued to try to free ourselves. Early on Friday, Joe’s daughter-in-law called to see if her hubby had stopped. “No, we haven’t seen anyone,” I said. Cheryl said he had been gone for some time and she was concerned. As it turned out, Joe had been stuck in his driveway at least ten times. Cheryl finally got him on his cell phone and once he was out, he came up, parking his truck in the road and walking through three foot of snow to the house. He was frost now too. Before leaving he told us that he and his brother would be back in the morning with the snow blowers and free us up. A HOT cup of coffee and he was gone.

Joe’s sons, Joe and Anthony, were here at 8:15am the next morning and working in the bitter cold with two snow blowers and before noon they were done and on their way to another emergency. We were so thankful for their help. Joe took his plow all apart again and drained the lines of transmission oil and water. She worked like a charm later that day. He was happy that all was ready for anything now.

My son, Andy, got the old bulldozer running and plowed both of his driveways and managed toe get his plow going again. He also had a friend plow an opening at my place so we could get in. The laundry room was leaking badly and Joe shoveled the roof up above and then he and I shoveled around the house through four foot of snow so the propane delivery could be made. On Sunday Andy came and shovels all the roves. What a job. It was heavy and deep. It was a rough week, but we persevered.

Thought for the Week: When you have a big job that needs to get done, don’t think about it but dive right in and get started. You will see the momentum pick up and before long it will be done.

Ps- I stopped at Hazel’s on the way back and found she had fallen deep into her couch as she maneuvered out of her chair. “Oh, the GOOD LORD has sent you to help me” she cried. It took all the strength I could muster to get her up as she struggled to her feet. She then used her walker to get to her table. A thick cushion on her chair helps. A hot cup of tea and some dinner and then to her bed where she would stay until At Home Care came in a couple of hours. It was hard for me to leave her.