I hope this Monday morning finds everyone in Irene's path safe and sound. We spent Sunday playing "pick up sticks" with the kids outside in the front and back yards (until poor Scott got swarmed by angry yellow jackets). We didn't lose any trees, thank goodness, but several large branches came down and the yards were littered with sticks and leaves and all kinds of storm-related debris blown from the tops of the tall trees-including those poor displaced wasps, who were probably wondering what happened to their safe tree-top home. I love our neighborhood, and the old trees surrounding our house, but the sight of the tall pines bending and whipping back and forth in the wind was pretty scary. On Sunday we awoke to a different world: birds chirping outside, chain-saws firing up, sun coming in through the window blinds. The day seemed washed clean and new again--it was such a transformation from Saturday's stormy weather.
We spent most of the day indoors on Saturday, and I spent the morning baking and cooking, because I was worried we'd lose power. We made "hurriane soft pretzels" and a big pot of vegetarian chile, and a pot of brown rice. Being housebound was also a great chance to let T. do some of her own baking.
