My Successful Open House - 22 Attendees Thanks to Hurricane Irene!
With all the talk and for-warning about the hurricane to come, and that it was to be a biggie, everyone in New York City and surrounding areas was busy preparing for Irene's appearance. Winds between 40-60 miles an hour and 8-12 inches of rain were expected in Rockland County NY over a 12-24 hour period beginning late Saturday night and continuing through most of Sunday. Flooding and power outages were expected and everyone was busy preparing for the worst. I took the warnings seriously as did everyone in our office and all open houses for the weekend were either canceled or rescheduled.
Like most everyone else in the New York Metro area, I busied myself preparing for Irene's arrival and stocked up on all the basics that we were advised to. I thought I was well prepared, after all we were only two people (me and hubby) and how much in terms of raw supplies do two people need? The problem was, as the weekend drew closer, the numbers kept changing and we were no longer just two.
My oldest daughter lives in Far Rockaway and because of its proximity to the beach, was forced to evacuate - so she and her family (of 6 kids) moved in on Friday for the duration. One of my sons went on vacation with his family and was scheduled to join us for the weekend with his 4 kids - a pre-Irene arrangement.
When I realized that the weekend might just stretch into Monday because of the storm, and that the numbers were growing I ran out to the stores to do another round of shopping for basic staples and supplies and it was a good thing that i did..
Daughter#2, who lives in Ocean County NJ, where they were expecting 100 mile an hour winds and severe power outages, decided to join us and she moved in with her family of 6 kids. Not to worry, I was told. They were coming with plenty of food and supplies.
Well, I took her advice and set the worry aside; over the years I've learned that the worry doesn't help anyway. We all settled in for the weekend waiting for Irene to pass. Though it was a hectic weekend, it was also a memorable one with lots of noise and fun, and everyone chipping in doing their part to make it all work.
Because of Hurricane Irene, I hadn't planned on having an open house this Sunday, but because of Hurricane Irene I had one anyway. All 22 guests to my open house this weekend had a blast and we all made lots of memories that my children and grandchildren will long remember even after the waters from Hurricane Irene subside and life gets back to normal.
I hope Irene passed through without leaving too much damage in her wake for any of you and that you're all safe and dry.
Flickr photo by Undertow851
