It’s 50° outside and we still have ice ice baby. Luckily, ours came in the form of sleet that doesn’t weigh down power lines, but the indefiniteness of the forecast meant we had to prepare for the possibility we’d be without power during extremely cold weather. If you have a particular diet you have to follow, preparation is even more critical.
With the threat of ice looming, I not only stocked the house with food, I precooked several days’ worth. My reasoning was that I could reheat something I had previously baked using nothing but a 100-hour candle setup, but it would expend more resources than I have to cook it from scratch.
If I didn’t have to worry about histamine levels in food, I could have grabbed some peanut butter and deli meat for sandwiches. I could keep a store of canned vegetables. If I weren’t gluten-free, I’d have more options for borrowing from neighbors if I run out of something. Life would be easier.
RV travel has given me some experiences and equipment that were helpful in preparing for this event. I charged up my rechargeable camping lights, made sure I knew where the backup phone charger was, and broke out my solar generator.
I made meatloaf, honey-lime chicken tenders, and beef with rice. Vegetables included squash with red bell pepper & onion, green beans, and blackened broccoli. I had bananas, apples, blueberries, kiwi, and goat cheese on hand. I stocked up on eggs, and made sure I had some gluten-free pasta, rolls, pizza crust, and bread. I pre-grounded coffee beans and verified there was back-up coffee from the RV in the house just in case.
While that level of prep turned out to be sufficient. It would not have been if grocery delivery had not resumed after six days. And that is why I also had some dry shelf-stable gluten-free survival food on hand.
With supplies and working internet, I am able to be productive. There’s plenty of entertainment in books, TV, and movies. And there’s the joyful sound of sledding on the hill next to my house. The biggest problem has been keeping a handle on time. The days begin to run together.
Most of my friends are going crazy. Some are cleaning out the garage. Some are feeling antsy because they want their regular, overcommitted, busy routine back.
When ice looms, prepare in advance so you feel safe and equipped to meet any challenges, then take the opportunity to use unexpected free time to read a book, write a song, clean out your closet, or stare at the fireplace. It’s funny how likely we are to squander unexpected gifts of quiet time.
Constant frenzy is not healthy. Perhaps ice is the universe’s way of letting us know we need to take a moment, refocus, and examine the path we’re following. Another option is to absorb and enjoy the peace.
When it’s time for you to prepare for ice ice baby, here’s a great resource.
https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/fema_winterstorm_htp.pdf