New York Tablescape- Tribute to Storm Victims

I know you are like me if you didn't live in the storm

ravaged states, you watched with horror as

Superstorm Sandy raged its way up the east coast.

I decided to set a table this week in honor of

those who suffered from the storm, realizing that

it was much more than New York City that was

hit, but focusing my table on New York.

New York, the Big Apple. 

My husband and I had almost made plans to go

there in a couple of weeks.  I have friends who live there and Pat

did a beautiful post on it at Mille Fiori Favoriti.

She focused on what we can all learn from

this and how we can prepare. Visit her blog and read it.

While I live in a place that doesn't have to worry about

hurricanes, we do have to worry about major earthquakes.

Have you ever wondered about losing all of your beautiful

things in a storm or an earthquake?

Yet, certainly none of that is worth losing a life

and we do need to be prepared.

I love how I caught the light off this spoon and it made me 

think of the Broadway musical Annie -

"The sun will come out tomorrow!"

Haven't you been proud of most of those who have been

hit and how they have been helping each other?

Truly, if we help each other, the sun will come out.

New York, the Big Apple.

These big apples came from my tree.

And I always think of red when I think of New York,

maybe because I have been there so many times

at Christmas.

We are Americans and we hurt when others hurt.

In our hardest times we can shine.

I just so happened to have volunteered to go help

at the Lindon cannery this last week before the storm

had hit.  I belong to 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints

nicknamed almost 200 years ago

The Mormons.

I bet you have heard more about us in the news this 

election year!

The Church teaches us to be prepared with

water, food, fuel, and an emergency supply

of money just for cases like this or unemployment,

a change in health, or whatever might come unexpectedly.

Click on this link to find out more about storing food

for an emergency.

Part of what I can do is to help at the cannery so that others

who don't have the means to feed themselves can get

food.  The Church also sends money, clothes,

medical supplies and food in cases of disaster like

this.  It seemed fitting to be helping on something like

this during this week.

We were canning pork and beans this day.  My job 

was to stand there and watch a machine punch a blob

of ground bacon mixed with beans into a can.  If the

bacon blobs stuck together so that one can didn't

get it, you had to make sure the next person put a

little blob in the can.  I would sing to myself and count

the cans, anything to keep from being bored.  The

machine only missed one in about 100 (I know, I counted!)

It also made me think of hubby's grandmother who worked

until she was in her 80s in a cannery in Idaho.  I don't think I

could do something like this day after day, week after week.

But as I sat there, I felt wonderful because I knew that

this food would go to help those in need.  I specifically thought 

of those who had been affected by the storm.

After, we were

allowed to buy some salsa and peaches that others had canned.

The peaches were "seconds" as some had little bits of pits

left in.  I have worked at the cannery for years, doing peaches,

chili, apples and dry goods.  

In my next post I am going to make a wonderful

Peach Raspberry Crisp that I made using the

canned peaches.

Think of ways you can help,

 organizations you can donate

to, etc.  If we all do something, it will lift the lives of many.

They may have disappeared from the front of the news,

but they still are in great need.

I will be posting this with

 Let's Dish

Tablescapes Thursday