Larchmont and New Rochelle News / The Rosen Reports

I finally received power back last night, just 8 days without. We were very lucky and fortunate. Wow – what a week..  all I can say is the people on my street and surrounding streets were so so very, very fortunate and lucky… trees are down everywhere, but I only saw one tree on a home..No flooding in my immediate area and I think we can all face no heat, electricity for 8 days or so compared to those who lost their homes due to flooding, high winds or fire.. Was it cold? Of course, but we can all don another sweater.. We were simply lucky, and it will be just another life experience for us… not so for so many others.

I would look in my freezer each day to see  what is defrosting in my freezer each day, and then I would seek inspiration for our dinner- which was around 5 p.m. each day due to the lack of light..(even though we had candles of course!)…it was still nice to clean up with some semblance of light…While I had no heat, I did have a gas stove and so I still had hot water and I could cook on the stove… I made a nice chicken soup the other day (bought some crisp, fresh bread to go with it)…. Indian food the next (nice and spicy to keep away any colds)..the next,  a spicy Spanish chicken dish with sausages and rice, and a South American chicken soup last night with cabbage, corn, cumin, etc…  We were lucky,…. I had found a tiny portable television last year (3 X 4 inches) for Hurricane Irene so we had a lifeline to the outside world even if it was just two television channels. My husband found a portable transistor radio that we had never opened – a radio yeah! I also had an old fashioned stove top perculator so coffee (with the aid of cartons of the parmalot milk) I changed over my closets one day, cleaned my office and organized files another day – all of those chores we hate to do when we have choices. No computer, phones, light… I got caught up on those chores… I cleaned out my car too.

The strangest experience was walking the pooch at night.. The firs few nights, the full moon of the night of the storm cast a light over the sky… After a few nights, it was so dark outside… and a flashlight was required so as to step on the downed wires. One funny things that happened, was that my dog saw a piece of white paper one night and went to investigate. The pie of white paper turned out to be a skunk, and luckily for us, he ran away without spraying on us! I laughed so much…

It all makes me recall how I grew up in England.. Our home had no central heating.. so the house would always be cold unless you were near the wood burning fire, or the small gas stove in the kitchen area… and my dad used to use a paraffin heater (so dangerous – we were lucky with that) on a landing.. my mom (mum) used to buy fresh meats each day as the refrigerator was so small… no television, just a radio… so – my point is, this is the way life used to be for so many …so many years ago.. and we have all moved on to a better way of life, and some of us take it all for granted, and get a little too upset when faced with some adversity …. As long as we all have our health, our homes – we will all be fine…. cocktail hour just starts a little earlier! G–d bless those who have lost their loved ones, have no home, no food, our prayers are with you.

Westchester is GREAT!