Hello friends, I've missed you. This blog went silent in October as my attention focused on Hurricane Ian recovery. We drove to Sanibel to assess the situation, check on the remediation work, and begin to clean-up/rebuild. Let me say up front that we were lucky and I am very thankful.
It was truly surreal and disorienting to be on the island. The devastation is overwhelming. It was often hard to figure out where we were - landmarks, street signs, and most mailboxes are gone. The houses I knew so well and walked by daily are often unrecognizable. We even hesitated pulling in to our own driveway!
Our lower level (along with my husband's beloved convertible) was destroyed and we lost siding on one side of the house. Damage to the upper level, our main living area, was nowhere near as severe and was primarily due to the failure of one of our front doors.
We cleaned up as much as we could before returning to Connecticut. By the time we left Florida, our power and water had been restored. We're still waiting for internet.
Thanksgiving in CT was unusual - for the first time ever, we went out for dinner! After hosting "the feast" for decades, this was a HUGE change and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it.
This past weekend we were in central New York celebrating my father's birthday. We're planning to spend a few days in NYC before Christmas, too... plus another visit with my parents before returning to Sanibel in January.
Meanwhile, I'm still trying to carve out a little time for books.
My next post will be a fall reading update, then I'll have the usual end-of-year posts. I'm hoping to return to a regular blogging routine by the end of January. Fingers crossed our internet is back by then. Thank you for all the comments, emails, and DMs as we began our recovery journey... it's meant a lot!
Oh, JoAnn, it is good to hear from you. I'm so sorry to hear about your house (and convertible) on Sanibel. What a mess.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to get things back to normal on Sanibel, and I hope you are able to get back to books and back to a regular blogging schedule as soon as you can.
Anonymous (Judith?) - Thank you... just hitting the publish button on this post was a good feeling. It's been too long. We'll get there eventually.
DeleteI am SO glad you posted an update! That hurricane was so devasting and I am glad you weren't there. Some folks ride these storms out but, as you know, they are nothing to mess around with.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been a crazy sight to be unfamiliar with your neighborhood. Looking forward to your posts. If you get a chance check out Foster by Claire Keegan. It's a novella and wonderfully descriptive and emotional.
Tina - There were four couples on our street (all 70+) that stayed during the storm and all regret it now. They were airlifted out several days later and several are still traumatized by the whole experience. Not recognizing our own neighborhood was the weirdest feeling!
DeleteI read your review of Foster and added it to my list. Hope to get to it by the end of the year. Thanks for the recommendation.
Ohmygod!!! What a difference! Look at all that sand! It's like your house is now on a very messy beach! Sucks about your husband's convertible, too.
ReplyDeleteHope your internet is restored soon and that you get whatever work done that you need done.
Hang in there!!!
Jinjer - That's a pretty dramatic contrast, isn't it? It felt like we were in the middle of a jungle before. Many native trees are sprouting new growth already, but it will take years to fill in again. We are dealing with Comcast for tv/internet and they are the worst. Fingers crossed we can get hooked up by the end of January!
DeleteThank you for the update! I have been thinking about you. What kind and year was the convertible? I had a Tempest convertible for a long time, and wish I still had it. The pictures are incredible. We see so much of house destruction but not often do we think about gardens and trees.
ReplyDeleteNan - His convertible was a 7 year old Lexus. They don't make that model anymore, but the insurance doesn't even come close to covering the cost of a new one anyway. Wow, you had a Tempest convertible?! I learned to drive on my parents old Tempest station wagon back in the day.
DeleteThe vegetation on the island took a huge hit during the storm. Luckily we have only native plants on out property, which are more resilient. My Seagrape is already sprouting new growth!
I am so sorry for all you lost. That's not an experience I would wish on anyone. Wishing everyone well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Wendy. The past couple of months have been a nightmare for us, but not nearly as bad as it has been for those who lost their homes and, in many cases, businesses, too.
DeleteHi JoAnn,
ReplyDeleteI've continued to think about you and send you all of my best wishes. Keep reading and keep taking care of yourself through this very stressful time.
Judith - Thank you! We have made a lot of progress over the past couple of months, but there is still far to go. I attributed the anonymous comment above to you, but I must have been mistaken...
DeleteVicki - Most of our neighbors houses are only elevated a half story, so they had flooding in their main living area. They can't live in their homes at all right now :( The people next door have already sold and moved on. When we were looking at houses, we only considered elevated homes.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn I’m so sorry to see the before and after effect of Ian from your window. While there are property damages, I’m relieved to know you’re Ok. Hope all will be back to some normalcy and that you can read and write about books soon. I just posted some upcoming movie adaptations from books. Feel free to stop by the Pond. 😉
ReplyDeleteArti - We know it will be an unusual winter, to say the least. Our house is livable, so we feel fortunate. Most of the neighbors have found temporary housing for the next year or are remaining in summer homes. I'm not sure many of my friends will be around :(
DeleteThe devastation on the island is just staggering and I am so glad you were safely in CT. Having seen the destruction of the debris flow in my town a few years ago, I know the feeling of loss, helplessness, and disorientation that comes with a natural disaster. I hope your clean up and renovation work goes quickly and smoothly, that your neighbors are also doing ok, and that you can get back into your house in January. We will all be here, waiting to hear your stories and cheering you on from afar.
ReplyDeleteHelen - We are certainly in awe of nature's power! The library just reopened for limited hours, as well as a few restaurants, and a grocery. The post office and pharmacy will take a while longer, I'm afraid. We just need to be patient.
DeleteIt made my heart sing to see your blog post, JoAnn, but also to feel heavy from all the damage from Ian. It must be so devastating to see all the destruction in the surrounding areas. I know it's just a car, but your husband must be heartbroken. I know Rod would be! We've done Thanksgiving out a couple of times and as much work as it is to have it at home, I much prefer that! No restaurant can compare to a traditional, homecooked meal. It just isn't the same, is it? I look forward to reading your book updates at the end of the year (or in January). Take your time. We're not going anywhere. Just enjoy your time in NYC. You'll be back on island time before you know it. Big hugs to you, my friend. What a year!
ReplyDeleteLes - It made me happy just to hit the publish button... it's been way too long! The restaurant Thanksgiving was delicious and SO much easier, but somehow it just didn't feel right. I have no idea where we'll be next year, but wherever it is I'd like to eat at home. We're working on Christmas plans now. The kitchen here is tiny... very efficient, but room for just one. We'll have 7 or 8 here, and make it work somehow! Congratulations on Rod's book launch!
DeleteI'm so sorry, JoAnn, but glad to see that you're making progress. Have a wonderful holiday season!
ReplyDeleteAngela - Slowly, but surely we'll get there! Hope you and your family have a very happy holiday season!
DeleteGlad your home survived Ian and you can go back to Sanibel Island. We had heard it was almost totally destroyed. Good to hear not.
ReplyDeleteHarvee - The entire island was flooded, so literally every structure was damaged. We had recently completed renovations which included a new metal roof and hurricane windows. I think that spared us most of the wind damage. The recovery/rebuilding effort has been tremendous - I'm so proud of our island!
DeleteI'm so sorry about the destruction to your house and area as a whole. Storm recovery is such a long and all encompassing journey.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Katherine. It will be a long process, for sure, but we'll get through it.
DeleteSo glad to see your post JoAnn. I know it's been devastating but I'm pleased to hear the recovery efforts of your house & the area will persevere over time. It'll be long I'm sure. It's hard to imagine Sanibel took the direct brunt of Ian. Ugh! It's good you can get away & take a break from it. Wishing you a Merry Christmas in Conn & NY.
ReplyDeleteSusan - The whole thing still seems unreal! In our small neighborhood of 12 houses, only two are inhabitable... and thankfully ours is one of them. One has already been sold and another is on the market. This is going to take a long time. Glad to be on the CT coast now, where the current winter storm is just rain! Hope your housing transition is progressing smoothly.
DeleteOh JoAnn I'm so sorry about all of this! I cannot imagine just how overwhelming it all must be. Where to even start. I hope that you've been able to enjoy your time with family and loved ones and wishing you a lot of luck and energy as you rebuild!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Iliana. We'll be heading back to FL to continue repairs next week.
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