The cold spell from last week finally gave way to more seasonal temperatures. Which is to say, it is still cold and snowy. The daytime temps in this region run in the 40s this time of year. While the average snowfall for the month is around three or so inches. This year the area has seen upwards of ten inches so far this month. Add wind to that equation, and it makes for a miserable day cleaning up debris if we can even get to the ground through the layers of snow and ice.

So, we wait for better weather; less snow, more sunshine.

Once again, we’ve spent the week working on paperwork—filling out applications for grants and other available assistance. Gathering the information for the county, state, and federal help is emotionally taxing and time-consuming. And inevitably, you forget one key piece of documentation that holds things up.

Remote meetings have also been a part of my life that I thought I left in the corporate world. I’m glad the option of virtual meetings has become so available. Otherwise, we might not have been able to get some of the information obtained.

One of the most dreaded tasks of any total-loss disaster is the list of possessions that the insurance company wants you to provide. As if losing everything you own to a disaster is something you want to have to keep re-living. But, re-live it we must to satisfy the bureaucracy.

I’ve spent the last few days scrolling through the pictures on my phone, looking for photos of stuff in my house. I’m up to 2016. I’ve found eight pictures with furniture in them. My (unsolicited) advice: start now; take photos of everything you own, especially those items that mean the most to you. I wish now I had done that.