By last night, I was pretty cranky. I was cranky for two reasons, which made me pretty annoying to live with. I was cranky first, because we have been without power for five days now. I live in NJ which if you live anywhere on the planet, you may have noticed we just lived through the Apocalypse. It was called Sandy and the destruction is completely unfathomable. There were no precedents for anything like this for this region. Much of the iconic Jersey shore is gone. Whole communities under water. Some gone completely. My son has been activated in the national guard since last Sunday, I saw him once for 5 minutes the other night when he came in looking for a hot shower, and he was pretty exhausted. He is still out there helping rescue and defend. His latest Facebook post says he is headed down the shore after helping to evacuate Hoboken.
The other reason I’m cranky is because I have no business being cranky. Amidst the destruction and chaos, downed trees, crushed, flooded, or otherwise washed away homes, we are fine. Minor damage to a couple shingles and a downspout, not worth reporting to the insurance company. No trees to come down on the house because we had them taken out last summer. I think I picked up a half dozen small branches in the yard. We helped neighbors who didn’t fare as well remove downed trees that took out pools and nicked corners of houses.
We have a neighbor behind us who has a monster diesel generator and allowed six families that surround his house to plug in a line. The back yards are a tangle of orange extension cords, across the yards, over the fences, and up the decks. We have a functioning refrigerator/freezer, and lost no food, and one additional outlet for charging up things like phones and a lamp or two. The tables look like command central, with wires everywhere, but we are functioning. We have a gas stovetop for cooking and a gas hot water heater and city water/sewer so there is plenty of hot water for showers . The temps are dropping into the 20’s at night, but the house is reasonably toasty with a wood burning stove and plenty of wood. We don’t have to go anywhere since both of us can work from home, so we don’t have to wait in 4 hour lines for rationed gasoline.
We even have internet because I pay for a MiFi from Verizon and we both have smart phones. And Verizon service has been pretty dependable so far. So, though my house looks like a wired mess, and I’m highly inconvenienced, I have absolutely nothing to be cranky about. I’m glad I don’t have TV at the moment and can’t see the destruction first hand. The newspapers are bad enough. It is hard to imagine how a state can come back from this, and I have a much better understanding of what happened during Katrina. Until you’ve lived through it, you really can’t know.
That said, I’m trying to stay upbeat, and grateful, and though it has been suggested that power might not be restored before next Wednesday, we will be OK. I can walk to a fully stocked grocery store that has power, and I don’t have to be anywhere in the next few days except to vote and I can walk to that. Hopefully.
It is harder than I thought to get work done in the studio. No, I don’t need power to weave, or do many of the tasks I do up there, but I do need light. And there has been scarce little of it. The days are so grey that little natural light is available and I find it hard unless I’m right up against the window to get much done.
Still, I managed to start planning my next sewing project, hopefully it will work for an article I’m writing for Sew News, which is being held up due to no power to run the sewing machine and my desk computer. I’m hoping to use the fabric Jerri Shankler wove for me for a guild exchange a couple years ago, I think it would make for a great editorial unlined jacket with gorgeous seam finishes. It would be photographed inside out. The pattern is traced and ready to be constructed into a muslin, which is of course waiting for power to return. I’m not sewing this muslin by hand…
I had a couple of scarves left on a loom that I could pull close to the window. I got the idea that I could weave the remaining two scarves with a synthetic peach yarn I had in my stash, along with a nylon pull thread and potentially crimp them up like I did for the fabric I’m working on from the Dianne Totten Workshop back in October. I managed to get both scarves woven, and am working on the crimping part. I can steam them on the stove if I can find the lid to my canner, no power necessary to use the stove.
And yesterday, we ventured up to the attic with a couple flashlights and dug out a loom that we brought to the neighbor’s house. My neighbor has a developmentally disabled daughter who had woven in a program for a couple years, and wanted to have a loom at home. I took advantage of being around for a few days and we moved the loom to her house and my friend/neighbor and I cleaned it up and I spent last night in the kitchen where we have the only real light source, winding the warp for dish towels for Beth to weave from the 5/2 Perle Cotton I bought from Silk City last month.
Today when I ventured out, I couldn’t believe what waved to me from the now brown and decaying flower beds by the street. A lone Iris, ready to bloom. In November… A gift amidst the chaos…
And so, last night, in all my crankiness, I got a huge reality check when I did a quick survey on my smart phone of my email. I get daily digests on some of the weaving lists, and there was a note about rebuilding Judith’s studio. I followed the link to the blog post from The Yarn Harlot, one of my favorite bloggers but I’m sort of out of the loop with no regular power.
Apparently, while we were all hunkered down in a very scary storm on Monday night, somewhere in eastern Washington State, alone and away from all the news, a studio burned to the ground. Not just any studio. Judith MacKenzie, one of the most gifted and generous of all the fiber teachers, lost her entire studio, books, stash, yarn, spinning fibers, teaching materials, 14 spinning wheels, many of them irreplaceable, along with looms and all of the other equipment that makes us able to do what we do. I just taught with Judith at the Fiber Fallout in NJ the end of September. She gave me a lovely piece of Muga Silk Top (that’s a spinning fiber for all of you non textile readers) because she is like that. Judith has published numerous books and DVD’s on spinning and they are all on my shelves. This kind of loss hits especially close to home. I worry about losing not only my life’s work, my equipment, and my ability to teach, my livelihood in essence, and if it can happen to Judith, it can happen to any of us. Just look at the newspapers over the last five days and know that it can all be gone in the blink of an eye.
So I got a real kick in the pants and quite the reality check. I got over my crankiness pretty fast. It is just a few days of inconvenience, I still have my family, my studio, my ability to work, and my livelihood. There is a fund that has been set up to help rebuild Judith’s studio which I will be contributing to just as soon as I can get on my regular computer and transfer funds.
So dear readers. Know I survived, I’m playing pioneer girl over here in NJ, though not really because we do have smart phones and a couple power outlets. We will be fine, and New Jersey will recover because we are good like that. We are gritty people and very determined. And we have a pretty determined governor. I am however keeping an eye on the nor’easter due in potentially early next week, with maybe some snow accumulation. Which means we have to dig out the snow blower and figure out how to get gas for it. We are now on odd/even rationing, just like in the 1970’s. If all this wasn’t so tragic it would be funny… You can’t make this stuff up…
Stay tuned…
Kudos, Daryl, well said. I have family in Sheapshead Bay. They have seen so much destruction. Prayers for all, especially as the weather gets colder and another storm approaches.
Stay safe.
On a weaving note, I loved your class at Rhinebeck…took some fabric off my loom, and bought muslin for my pattern fitting. Thanks for all you taught me.
Janet,
Thanks for your email. Be safe. I am so sorry to hear about Judith McKenzie. Here in CO it was Maryse Levenson loss her studio in the Waldo Canyon Fire.
Ive never met you but nevertheless worried about not hearing from you since the storm hit. Yes, be glad you don’t have a TV. The destruction is unbelievable, Good thoughts and prayers go to you and all your fellow survivors.
And yes, as your Governor said, it will all come back — not the same as it was before — but it will come back.
You have been in my thoughts and prayers during this whole Sandy thing. You are the only person I know (or sort of know) that was in Sandy’s path. I’ve been waiting for your post to find out how you fared. I am so glad you and your family are safe. Being from Wisconsin, I don’t know what it would be like in a storm like that. Hope your life gets back on track soon. Kathy
Consider going to Lehmans.com and see if the have any Alladin lamps left for the studio…well worth it, if they can get them to you.
I’m glad things are basically ok where you are!
Daryl, It is good to know that you are safe. I had only two days without power, so consider myself among the fortunate.
I so enjoyed your table loom class at Rhinebeck, and am about to make my first solo attempt at warping front to back.
Be well.
Sooo glad to know you and your family are all right, Daryl! Prayers are being sent up for the nor’easter to take a turn out to sea and fizzle out. Our daughter is in Queens. She and her husband came out of it unscathed, thank goodness, but she’s walking to mid-town every day to work– about 2 hours each way. 🙁
Donations to be sent to help Judith following posting of this message–thanks for the link.
Here’s hoping you don’t have to play “pioneer girl” for too much longer!
Warm Hugs, Melissa Z.
Thank you for your update. You and your family are still in my prayers as are all who have been affected by Sandy. TV is something we can do without, lights are a little different (more babies will be born in 9 months), and it is good to have gas and water. Happiness is in a flower!
Thankk you for the update. SO glad you and yours are OK!!! My friends in Colonia were OK also. Yes i did hear about Judith’s studio UGH. I will see what i can do. I am in Idaho, so fairly close.
I am so glad to learn that you are among the “inconvenienced” and not the “washed away” as the devastation we have seen on TV was truly the stuff of nightmares. My thoughts go out to all who have lost so much. And why am I not surprised that you are more concerned about Judith than yourself. 🙂
Keep safe!
I am so glad to hear that you’re OK — people have been asking if I’ve heard from you. Our guild sale this weekend has been hugely successful! But, I was thinking of you all weekend. Take care and keep up with the updates. We’ll all help get Judith up and running– I’m waiting until the list comes out as to what needs to be replaced.
I’ve spent many dark evenings in northern WI trying to weave. One thing that really helped was a head lamp…available at camping stores. Even in little light that might help. Stay well.
Just glad to hear that you are OK.
So glad to hear that you and you and your family survived Sandy as well a you reported! Your friends from the Mississippi Valley have been thinking about you. I have hesitated to send an e-mail or call, being afraid of what I was going to find out.
Your Midwestern Fan-Club!
Gisela
Thanks so much for your news, so glad to hear you came through the storm ok. Still praying for New Jersey though and your guild’s upcoming sale in the midst of the turmoil. Now news of an impending nor’easter – wow.
Happy to hear that you and yours are Ok. Thank you for your blog message.
Take care, Mary Saxton
Many thanks for letting us all know you’re OK. No doubt there was a collective sigh of relief for you when your email arrived. I know I was relieved for you and your family. Be safe!
Thank you,thankyou for writing and getting us uptodate. I have held you and your family in our prayers.
so sorry to hear about Judy Mackenzie fire. I will get in contact with some washingtonians to find out where to start.
You’re alright. Cut yourself a break. You’re going through something. The stress on your larger community is a factor in your life. You know where I live, and we don’t have hurricanes or tornadoes or, well, winter even. But we do get shaken up from time to time. We had a little seismic event in 1994. You may have heard. It made the news. We were among the lucky ones: no real structural damage, were without power for only 12 hours, never lost water or gas. We did have a big mess to clean up inside the house, almost every… Read more »
Daryl, first thank you for the up-date on your own safety. Second I guess I just need to express my sorrow at Judith’s loss. You are correct in identifying her as one of the kindest, most generous fibre artists on the planet. I’ve had the privilege of taking several of her workshops here in Hood River, Oregon. She is an amazing teacher and student of fibre. She goes out of her way to share everything that she knows or thinks you need to know about spinning, weaving or whatever. She is such a down to earth person and I am… Read more »
Daryl I am in tears after reading your post and everyone’s comments. Surely from sadness for all the loss we have taken, but also from joy. Such an out pouring of love and kindness from all the fiber folk, even your neighbor with the big-ass generator. I hope your son will have time to rest and recoup soon, thank him for all his hard work! My son lives and goes to school in lower Manhattan, they just had power restored and his university plans to be open on Wed. I’m praying we do not get this next storm, us here… Read more »
So glad to hear you and yours are well. Kudos to your son for the important job he is doing. Feeling helpless here in WI, so far away from the trauma and destruction. CNN brings it into my home. It does make me count my blessings. I’ll be contributing something to help those in need and will not forget Judith either.
Yes Daryl, was wondering about you all during the storm. So glad you & family are well and hope your son survives. Know he has to have your strength, being your son. Heard about Judith’s fire. Donated a small amt. Mayrisse Levenson in Colorado Springs lost all her fiber arts stuff. Just found out yesterday that an old friend from Northern Colorado lost all her fiber arts stuff from the Hyde Park fire in June. But, she is out of her fog after 3 months of it and I was supposed to go to that craft sale. Almost didn’t. God… Read more »
When my children get cranky, it makes me cranky that I can’t fix what is wrong. Not being GOD, I can just pray for all the people affected by Sandy. We fared very well and have no complaints. Let us know if we can do anything. What does your friend, Judith need?
Kept you in my thoughts during the storm. Sounds like you have a bit of “survivor’s guilt.” It’s strange to be “inconvenienced” when others have been devastated. It’s OK to be OK–and I’m glad you are.
I am happy to hear that you are safe, if not comfortable. I took your Jacket class in Durango a few years ago and also a warping from you at Convergence in Albuquerque. And I really enjoy following your blog.
You are loved.
I am trying to visualize what a “cranky” Daryl Lancaster would be like. Having difficulty.
Teena Tuenge
I precisely wanted to thank you so much once again. I am not sure the things I might have carried out without the entire opinions shared by you over such a problem. It had been the intimidating condition in my position, but observing your professional manner you resolved that forced me to jump with contentment. Now i’m happier for your guidance and even pray you realize what a great job your are undertaking training people all through your website. More than likely you’ve never encountered any of us.