The forecast is occasionally frightening and, in turn, confusing and contradictory. I suspect it isn’t the weather people’s fault; the climate is going for a wild ride and taking us with it. It’s nobody’s fault but our own. We’ve been hearing the warnings for years, but generally, we’d done little about it.

We were as prepared for this storm as possible; we filled the generator with gas and pulled it out by the house. It’s covered in a tarp and ready to go.

The generator is good; it lit up the whole house the last time we needed it, including water, an oil heater, and a refrigerator. I went shopping this afternoon (I met with my new cannabis advisor at the very well-run place in Bennington I went to buy it. I’m eager to test the cannabis for anxiety; it’s not something I need these days, but I am curious to see if it works to calm frayed nerves.

I rarely have panic attacks these days, but a lot is going on in my life. I’d like to know if another backup works and if my sleep gummies have worked. I’m not suffering from anxiety these days so much as restlessness; my mind is racing much of the term, and I want to slow it down. I’m curious, to be truthful.

Anxiety has been a serious part of my life. Maria thinks it’s worthwhile trying, and so does my therapist. I’m thinking about it; there’s no rush.

All these storms are disruptive. The Mansion has lost power twice, and  I’m worried about the extreme arctic cold predicted for Sunday and Monday. They might need additional clothing or help if the power goes on.

The weather alert that has my attention is for the frigid cold next week. The house is secure, but we must be careful about frozen pipes. We also need to ensure the animals have access to fresh, heated water. I bought some fresh salmon for Maria and a small piece of cod for me.

It was interesting. There were people in the market, but not that many. People around her don’t get panicky about the weather even though we are getting some we aren’t used to. Zip was waiting for me when I got home. We had a sweet hug and cuddle.

There’s a good chance the power will go out this weekend – high winds, snow, etc. But I’ll be posting when I can. Please stay dry, warm, and safe. Color and light photos are coming every day. I have power. Maria just went outside and took her clothes off the line. We went to the gas station to fill up our gas cans.

Hang in there, and thanks for all the support and good the Army of Good is doing, as always—a very wonderful week. One of Sue’s students has been diagnosed with severe low iron. She’s getting to a specialist.