I “Do”nate: A Wedding War Story
If I seem to look considerably older than I did at this time last year, there’s a reasonable explanation. I spent the first third of 2023 as the Mother of the Bride. (And if you don’t know why that would prematurely age a person, you clearly don’t have daughters.) I learned a lot through the […]
5 Scary Thoughts About Disasters And Disaster Relief (ALAN’s Official Halloween Blog!)
It’s almost Halloween, and if your town is anything like mine, your neighbors’ yards are already littered with ghosts, witches and tombstones. Clearly some of us enjoy giving other people a scare. Just as clearly, some of us enjoy getting a scare. I’m not one of them. I hate haunted houses. I avoid scary movies […]
Jasper Disaster
There are some women who complain about being football or basketball “widows.” I’m not one of them. However over the past decade, I have come to loathe the month of July, when my husband takes over the remote and insists on watching Every. Single. Minute. of the Tour de France. This year things were different, […]
White Elephant Or Truly Relevant?
Have you ever been to a white elephant party? Much like the popular Dirty Santa game, it involves everyone bringing wrapped packages that will be opened, “stolen” and eventually taken home by individual party guests. Only instead of newly purchased items, the packages contain recent Christmas or Hanukkah gifts that their owners don’t want or […]
The Art Of The Matter
Last spring I had a chance to attend an immersive art exhibit. I was excited to see what it would be like, especially since it featured one of my favorite artists, Vincent Van Gogh. But unfortunately the whole experience left me feeling disturbed rather than inspired. The exhibit’s final moments are all about Vincent’s descent […]
The Skies Are Clear, But Our Work Never Slows
If you’re part of our regular readership, you’ve likely heard the phrases “Dark Sky” and “Blue Sky” used among our regular verbiage. Dark Sky refers to periods when a disaster actively impacts a community. Blue Sky is reserved for stretches of time when disasters have abated and life resumes its “normal” activities. A common misconception, […]
Just Chillin’
If the tone of this week’s blog sounds a little cold, there’s a reason. My family and I have been living without heat for the past 11 days, and it hasn’t been pretty. Apparently our furnace motor is broken and needs to be replaced. But like many service parts, that motor is currently back-ordered with […]
