By: Mary Fran BontempoTo hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below. “Mom! Give me the saw and get out of the tree!”A few days before the devastation that arrived in the form of hurricane Sandy, I decided to clean up the yard in preparation for the storm. We’ve had our share of storm-related messes before, so cleaning gutters and clearing out some dead wood from old, very large [...]

By: Mary Fran Bontempo To hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below.  There was nothing funny about Sandy.The mega-storm that pounded its way through the Northeast last week sucker punched everyone and everything in her path. Entire towns along coastlines were devastated, as streets became beaches and boats found new homes in back yards blocks away from the ocean and bays. Combining elements like a tropical storm with [...]

By: Mary Fran BontempoTo hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below. I really thought it was an innocent question.“So, honey, did you have a good time last night?” My husband, Dave and I were headed to a movie on a Sunday afternoon when the call came in from our daughters, Laura and Meg, as they checked in after a night in Atlantic City. Yes, Atlantic City. So any [...]