How to keep luxuriously warm during an ice (or any kind of) storm
We had an unanticipated, unexpected ice storm this weekend which seemed to take much of the Eastern Seaboard from Virginia up through Connecticut by surprise. Cold rain turns to immediately turns to ice when it hits an icy cold pavement. This can cause black ice which is most dangerous because it looks like a wet surface and not a slippery surface. Once unsuspecting motorists hit a patch of black ice, nothing can be done to prevent a skid. On Sunday roads and highways were riddled with accidents. The ice even caused a fatality in nearby New Haven (home to Yale University.) Mid Morning I got a phone call from my town's police department strongly urging all non-emergency and non-essential vehicles to stay off the roads. With no pressing place to be and three children safe with me, we decided to hunker down at home. We often to lose power during ice storms. The weight of the ice on the branches tends to pull them down, often on to nearby electrical wires. So I cranked up the heat and made sure that every "device" was plugged in and charging. It was a perfect day to cozy up under blankets with magazines, books and warm cups of coffee - cocoa for the kids.
There's nothing like the feel of fur against the skin which makes it a great accessory for the home. When I was a young child my mother had received a beautiful black fur coat as a gift from my father. It was, in my young mind, the most elegant thing I had ever seen. My mother wore her coat inside out. Well, it wasn't inside out so much as it was reversible, but she always had the fur on the inside. This made no sense to me, until one day I tried it on. I had never felt anything as soft, wonderful, magical or luxurious in the world. Years later, when I was in my 30s, my mother gifted me her coat but it never fit properly. My shoulders are a good bit broader than hers, so she took it back!
As my tastes evolve, with the times and my age, I have come to love fur, real and faux, both in fashion and in the home. It is dramatic and sophisticated and decadently comfortable. There are many wonderful, affordable, faux furs out there for all tastes and styles. Fur, in the home, is the perfect remedy for any ice or other winter storm!
