After almost a full week without power, it came back last night at around 7:00 p.m. Oh, how happy we were. Unfortunately, we lost quite a bit of food, and the house is a mess. Slowly, we are putting things back in order, but to borrow from Bilbo Baggins, we feel like butter scraped thin on too much bread.

Because of the work of getting the house back together along with other commitments, I will be taking next week off from blogging.

However, to end on an upbeat note… yesterday, we had a table at a craft fair at the Harriet Beecher Stowe elementary School in Brunswick. We did very, very well. So well, in fact, that we nearly sold out of books. As one mother put it, Brunswick is a community of readers.

That’s what I love to hear, that is sure.

An exciting day for Clif and me. After going to the grocery store to stock up on soup and instant oatmeal, we went for a ride and spotted many downed trees  and wires.                “Wowsah, look at that one.”                                  “Ayuh,” my Yankee husband replied.                      Our big day ended with a stop at the town’s public water facet—thank you, Winthrop!         Here’s a picture of Clif getting one of life’s most precious resources.                                                

A quick post. We have been without power since early Monday morning. No fun but we are managing. Friends who have power or generators have been generous. Tomorrow we are going to Judy and Paul’s home for showers and a meal. Thank you, thank you! When the power comes back, I will write a longer post. But just wanted to let readers know we are safe and well with no damage to house, car, or person. I am writing and sending this via my phone, which is powered by our car.

A storm with lots of rain and heavy wind is blowing up the East Coast and should be in Maine by late night. Accordingly, Clif and I sprang into action today. In came all the patio furniture, all the garden ornaments, and various other items we don’t want zipping around the yard should the wind get really strong.

There is, of course, a good chance that we will lose our power, and because we have a well, no power means no water. Yesterday, I replaced the water in the four covered buckets we keep in the basement in the event of a power outage. In the little freezer upstairs are two jugs of frozen water to use in our cooler to keep milk and cheese from going bad. We have plenty of bread, peanut butter, eggs, and canned soup. We are as ready as we can be.

Here is a picture of our patio without the furniture. How lonely it looks! I am always so sad to see the empty patio in late fall. No more patio nights for us until next summer. Sigh.

Today just also happens to be the birthday of our eldest daughter Dee. Her sister, Shannon, joined Dee in New York for the weekend, and they are doing all sorts of fun things, including sampling tea at the excellent Harney and Sons, eating out, going to the Botanical Gardens, going to movies. Well, you get the picture. So much to do in New York City. (Readers might recall we had a birthday palooza in September and therefore fall birthdays have been duly celebrated.)

So happy birthday, Dee! Could it really be forty years ago that you came into this world and into our lives? By gum, yes it was, and what a joyous day for our family.

My weekly exercise in gratitude, or as some of my blogging friends put it, three things that made me smile this week.

This autumn has been freakishly warm—no chilly days and cold nights—and the leaves have not been as brilliant as they usually are this time of year. Nevertheless, fall is here, with its wonderful slant of light. While the days might not be crisp and invigorating, they are still cool enough for a morning bowl of oatmeal.

So, first: Oatmeal for breakfast with a generous serving of Maine blueberries, the sweetest of them all.

Second, the autumn leaves. Although less brilliant than they usually are, the leaves still bring a burst of beauty and color to the landscape and, as pictured below, our backyard.

Third, the look of autumn, which spills over everything, including the memorial bench in our backyard and the little cat I bought to honor my mother, who passed away nine years ago.

A final gratitude, a bonus, if you will: I am so thankful to live in an area that has four distinct seasons that each bring their own kind of beauty.

thi

Need I say more?