Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Mrs Bale employs old and new sayings



Better safe than sorry is a phrase most of us have heard since childhood. Our mothers would be sure we wore boots if snow was predicted. And now when a big storm is coming we do all we can to be ready for it. The governor of my state said
it can't hurt to be a little over-prepared. 
And he is right. 

Not everyone who was warned got the full brunt of this hurricane, but for those who did, the warnings may well have saved their lives. 

We who live in the northern part of the state got some rain and wind, but nothing extreme. In the words of a new-ish saying, we dodged a bullet. We didn't lose power. No roads are closed. And today is bright and sunny. Isn't this moss just the greenest green?


There was a caller on the state public radio station this morning who remembered the hurricane of 1938; and a series of hurricanes in the 1950s. She said 'these things happen.' I think it is so important to hear her words. Almost everyone broadcasting on the radio and tv is youngish; I'd say in their forties or younger. They don't remember past storms unless they are fairly recent. 

Incidentally, for all you fans of Mrs Bale from the wonderful series, As Time Goes By, I just read an article about Janet Henfrey's current work, which included this great photo. 

36 comments:

  1. So glad you got through the storm ok. I just loved Mrs Bale - in fact I quite often announce that dinner will be served in precisely 4 minutes! Cheers

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    1. I love thinking of you doing that! Hope you make some good cocktails, too. :<)

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  2. Love the photo of Mrs.Bale [of the Plantagenet face]! What a wonderful character - I always enjoyed the scenes she was in.
    We got our power back this afternoon - only lost it about 14 hours or so. Bless all those PECO- Phila.Electric Co.-workers. No trees down in our area, so lucky. A very different story not too far off on the New Jersey shore, esp.Atlantic City. Sending best wishes to anyone there.
    Mary

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    1. I don't think I've ever seen I face I enjoy quite so much.
      I heard that workers came from all over the country to help.

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    2. True- in addition to our own PECO workers, we had people in from Chicago. So thankful to them all.

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    3. And I heard that Texas workers came into New Hampshire in anticipation of the storm. I just love cooperation like this.

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  3. Those old adages still hold true and flow from my tongue often, Nan, and glad to hear you are safe. While I don't remember '38, I do remember reading about the hurricanes in the '50s. There weren't the advanced warning we have these days. All we've had is the wind and waves coming off of Lake Michigan, which didn't hamper us, though there were some dramatic cloud formations coming in from the east yesterday. Nice to see Mrs. Bale again.

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  4. My favorite, and I've adopted it as my personal motto, "It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."

    What is the little silver colored plaque on the side of the barn near the Windy Poplars Farm sign? Looks like maybe two ducks! My eyes are old!

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    1. Good words!
      Not old eyes. It is hard to see in that picture and you can't blow it up anymore. It is of sheep. Years ago we took in a woman's sheep when she had to move and she gave us that as a thank you. We are very fond of it.

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  5. I remember the hurricanes of the fifties. I was a child in Connecticut, and I remember my father driving us out to see the flooding on the Farmington River. And I remember going outside our house when the eye of the storm came over and the sun came out-

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    1. Wow, I have no memory at all. That's so great that you do.

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  6. I'm so glad you're doing OK with Sandy barreling through. Our son in Baltimore says he still has power for now too. Thank goodness!

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    1. Power loss can be so strange. Recently we lost it because a little breeze came through and blew a limb down on our lines. And other times we'll have big winds with no loss at all.

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  7. Glad you weathered the storm, as it were, so well, Nan. It looks to be a mess in other parts of the Northeast.

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  8. So relieved you and your loved ones weren't harmed by the storm! Most of the time, I tend to think a lot is exaggerated by the media, but this time, I agree that people should do all they can to be prepared. Better safe than sorry, indeed! Love the mossy picture.

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  9. Pleased you are safe and sound in your part of the world. Here in the UK we do nothing but moan about the weather. It's always too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy, too snowy - there is just no pleasing us, but really we are very lucky and it's rare for us to suffer the extremes that occur in other countries.

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    1. Well, I think you had plenty to complain about this past summer!

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  10. So glad Mrs Bale was able to come out to tell us that you weathered the storm. Love the photo of her creator.

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    1. Oh, I do too. And loved reading about what she is doing now.

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  11. Hi Nan: Lovely to see Mrs. Bale again, both past and present. I am so glad to hear that the storm left you safe. We probably had much the same as you, just some rain and very strong winds. My friends in New York City did not fare so well, but they are at least safe and that is what is most important.

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  12. So glad you did not get a battering. My friend in D.C had some hairy moments but is fine now, her dogs went very quiet 24 hours before the storm hit them, I think that's wonderful, animal wisdom.

    Carole

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    1. Interesting about the dogs. There was a full moon as well to intensify the situation.

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  13. I am glad you are safe. I went to look at the Janet Henfry link earlier today and just now remembered that I forgot to come back and thank you for it. I wish we could fly off to London to see that play, don't you? It was great to see that she is still working and I loved the sheer Englishness of her just living in her old home and being active in the neighborhood -- and what she said about how fringe theater doesn't pay many of the bills, but keeps her mind active.

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    1. I would so love to see it. She does indeed seem to be a personification of what we over here think of as English, doesn't she.

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  14. Glad you came through the storm unscathed. Mrs Bale is new to me so I shall have to investigate her:)

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    1. As Time Goes By is one of my favorites tv shows ever. You may read more here:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Time_Goes_By_(TV_series)

      http://atgbcentral.com/

      I think you will love it. I own the boxed set and have watched the whole thing many times.

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  15. Replies
    1. Thanks. I am planning to read your book in the coming year.

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  16. Such a treat to see a current photograph of dear Mrs. Bale!
    I do love her.

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