In the years to come there will be all sorts of reasons to remember the events of yesterday and today. Personally, I would rather not have the memory of snow covering my yard on November 7. It's only the first week of November and we've already had a hurricane and a nor'easter. And please keep in mind that this is officially not winter yet--it's fall. Our area still has a mega gas shortage and thousands still without power. Now with the nor'easter in play, the areas that were flooded last week are heading for flooding again. Normal seems to only be a word in the dictionary, because it sure does not apply to daily living right now.
I'm sure that somewhere in this mess there is a lesson we are supposed to be learning, but frankly, other than hope for the best and expect the worse, I can't fathom what that lesson is supposed to be. I'll leave further contemplation for later--just staring out the windows at the weather has given me the chills and I need a warm drink.
I hope that all of you have warm and liveable shelter and that you are weathering our current conditions in safety. Oh well, a lot of J bloggers were hoping for something to blog about other than yeshiva tuition and the state of shidduch making, and here it is.
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Preparing for Sandy
Just when I was wondering if there would be anything to post about, given that the choices were becoming quite limited to old news--yeshiva tuition, the nutty shidduch system etc.--along comes a possible devasting storm that will hit us in the NE from Sunday to Tuesday. While there are some who are shrugging their shoulders and taking a wait and see attitude, that way could lie disaster.
Now is the time to do some thinking about how you will handle the storm and any complications it could bring. If you have to evacuate, how will you do so and where might you be able to go? If you are stuck at home, do you have the necessary storm equipment, such as flashlights for when the power goes out, food to eat that does not require cooking, in case stoves are unavailable, extras of any medications you must take and you may not be able to get to a drugstore, extra blankets in case the heating goes out etc..
Now is also the time to be a good neighbor and think of those on your block or in your area who may be alone during the storm, such as the elderly. There's safety in numbers is not just words on a page--bringing such a person to stay in your home during the storm could well be a matter of sakonos nefoshos.
Do you have any loose items in your backyard or on your porch or balconey? Time to get those things to an enclosed shelter so that they don't become airborne missles when the strong wind gusts arrive.
Are your street-side sewer drains covered with leaves and debris? Do yourself a favor and get out there and remove the leaves. Heavy rains need somewhere to go, and clogged drains don't help.
There's lots of helpful information about how to prepare for a weather a storm of this type available online, but it's only helpful if you actually access it and use it.
Let's hope that we all get through this storm in safety, but some of that safety is going to depend on what you do now.
A gutten Shabbos to all.
Now is the time to do some thinking about how you will handle the storm and any complications it could bring. If you have to evacuate, how will you do so and where might you be able to go? If you are stuck at home, do you have the necessary storm equipment, such as flashlights for when the power goes out, food to eat that does not require cooking, in case stoves are unavailable, extras of any medications you must take and you may not be able to get to a drugstore, extra blankets in case the heating goes out etc..
Now is also the time to be a good neighbor and think of those on your block or in your area who may be alone during the storm, such as the elderly. There's safety in numbers is not just words on a page--bringing such a person to stay in your home during the storm could well be a matter of sakonos nefoshos.
Do you have any loose items in your backyard or on your porch or balconey? Time to get those things to an enclosed shelter so that they don't become airborne missles when the strong wind gusts arrive.
Are your street-side sewer drains covered with leaves and debris? Do yourself a favor and get out there and remove the leaves. Heavy rains need somewhere to go, and clogged drains don't help.
There's lots of helpful information about how to prepare for a weather a storm of this type available online, but it's only helpful if you actually access it and use it.
Let's hope that we all get through this storm in safety, but some of that safety is going to depend on what you do now.
A gutten Shabbos to all.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
...lovely as a tree
Sometimes I can read news reports objectively; other times I have what I feel is a personal stake in what is happening and yes, my view is more subjective than objective.
This week there were some major fires in Israel. While the reports I read did say that some firefighters had to be treated for injuries, there were no reported deaths. But yes there were, even if they weren't the kind that news people usually consider deaths.
I remember the efforts of the JNF when I was a child to get trees planted in Israel. Certificates to plant a tree were sold, and I remember getting some of those as gifts from my parents instead of yet another toy or tchatchke. Growing up in Oregon we were very tree oriented, and I remember being happy that the desert would, at least in some places, be planted over with beautiful trees. We considered those our "personal" trees, a part of us that was growing in our medinah.
The Jerusalem Post reported that "The fires consumed more than 3000 dunams (300 hectares/750 acres) of forests and open spaces and 300,000 trees went up in flames." 300,000 trees died this week, trees that took years to come to maturity. And yes, I wondered if any of those trees were "my" trees, the trees of my youth that I had such happy thoughts about. To try and imagine how much effort and time it will take to try and replace the burned out forrests is just mind boggling. And then to read further that it is believed that most of the fires were as a result of arson?
This wasn't the end I ever visualized for my trees, and I imagine that no one else who contributed to their being planted did either. The poet was not wrong when he penned the lines "I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree." How sad that nature should have been defiled in this way.
This week there were some major fires in Israel. While the reports I read did say that some firefighters had to be treated for injuries, there were no reported deaths. But yes there were, even if they weren't the kind that news people usually consider deaths.
I remember the efforts of the JNF when I was a child to get trees planted in Israel. Certificates to plant a tree were sold, and I remember getting some of those as gifts from my parents instead of yet another toy or tchatchke. Growing up in Oregon we were very tree oriented, and I remember being happy that the desert would, at least in some places, be planted over with beautiful trees. We considered those our "personal" trees, a part of us that was growing in our medinah.
The Jerusalem Post reported that "The fires consumed more than 3000 dunams (300 hectares/750 acres) of forests and open spaces and 300,000 trees went up in flames." 300,000 trees died this week, trees that took years to come to maturity. And yes, I wondered if any of those trees were "my" trees, the trees of my youth that I had such happy thoughts about. To try and imagine how much effort and time it will take to try and replace the burned out forrests is just mind boggling. And then to read further that it is believed that most of the fires were as a result of arson?
This wasn't the end I ever visualized for my trees, and I imagine that no one else who contributed to their being planted did either. The poet was not wrong when he penned the lines "I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree." How sad that nature should have been defiled in this way.
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