Sorry, Wrong Number

My telephone number was given in error for the Framingham Emergency Contact Storm Center, so I received several calls for them. One such call was from a newspaper in North Carolina asking about the state of the weather in Eastern Massachusetts. I spoke and told the caller what it was like here and I asked if I would get a "byline??"

The caller was very nice and I told him I had lived in South Carolina for 11 years (back in Massachusetts for 5 years by 1978) and that "I wish I were in Dixie!!"

Our street was left unplowed due to a stranded car at the beginning of our street which ended in a cul de sac!! Had to open the garage and dig with a shovel -- too deep for a snow blower -- a path so the dog could get out and do her "business."

(I remember) neighbors out walking, beautiful sunshine, laughing, going to store (2 miles away), pulling a sled and taking orders as they went. Some three days later, plowed and very high snow banks all was as back to normal as it gets; able to use cars and return to work. A disastrous time turned into a wonderful experience for all -- especially children -- who were in awe and delight as well as the parents!!

-Catherine Love

Lessons Learned

I was expecting my first child that Feb. My husband and I worked at Micro Networks in Worcester and lived in Rutland about 20 min. away .

That day we left work a little earlier than usual 4 p.m. or so. The roads had started to get nasty, but we got home ok. Being young we were not prepared for three days of snow and howling winds. Luckily my parents lived about a mile away and I was able to get to her house via a friends snowmobile to get food.

That was the very first time I had ever seen the town close up tight. It was scary but fun, we lost power for a bit but we had a generator so we could watch the TV news coverage.

I remember watching the ocean crashing in Winthrop and the brave police and fire services going in to rescue people on the coast. That and seeing the mess on 128 were two images that stay with me to this day. Since then I always have a supply of canned goods and water -- that was one lesson learned -- and that baby I was expecting is my 29 year-old son.

-Kathy Potvin