The title of the article last month was "Waiting Out the Storm (Again!)" And it ended with: "So, I wish you all well and hope we escape with a minimum of damage. And if not, may you have the patience and strength to get through it."

Oh my, was that the understatement of the year. We did actually escape with a minimum of damage and only five days without power. Various family members lost power for longer, had trees come down, and my parents have to replace the roof on their garage. My new heroes are the utility workers from Ameren Corp. in Missouri -- they're the ones who restored our power. Many people suffered far worse and are still dealing with the aftermath. FDU, where I'm an adjunct, was closed for a week -- the students are still trying to get back to "normal".

The photo shows some of the many lanterns and flashlights we had throughout the house plus something I bought after last year's outage -- fingerless gloves! They keep your hands warm but still let you read and do other things around the house. I should have also included a box of matches -- we're lucky enough to have a gas stove and were able to light the burners, make hot water and soup, and cook things that were defrosting.

If you're looking for ways to help those still in need, here's a column by Harvey Lipman who writes for The Record about non-profits in NJ. It includes many local organizations that are looking for funds, supplies, or volunteers (I prefer local to the American Red Cross).

This month really made it easy to write about being thankful. Besides all of the usual things I'm grateful for (family, friends, the wonderful people I work with, etc.), there's a whole new list. The nice people at Bennie's (the Middle Eastern restaurant in Englewood), who not only plugged in my phone to charge while we had dinner there, but would have been happy to let me spend the evening. The staff at the Englewood Starbucks who dealt with huge lines, people sitting on the floor, and probably limited deliveries with even more smiles and cheeriness. Mr. Tod at Mr. Tod's Pie Factory (a wonderful bakery in Englewood) who shared his heat, power, wifi, and yummy desserts. And, when we escaped the East Coast for a long weekend in Seattle, all of the sweet people who after finding out I was from NJ, asked how we were and gave us hugs.

For a change this year, I asked my students to post on the Discussion Board one thing they were grateful for. The majority said their families. But some went into detail -- the mom who set a good example by working multiple jobs so her child could go to college; the parents who sent their child to the US so he could go to college; the supportive mom and older brothers who stood in for the missing father. All of their posts were meaningful and beautiful -- I was amazed at how much they shared. And I'm very grateful for having caring students.

Constant Contact is making some wonderful changes to the way their e-mails work, to the services they offer, and to the way they certify solution providers. Over the next few months, I'll tell you about these new features. In the meantime . . . .

Are you interested in trying e-mail marketing? I am a Certified Constant Contact Expert and a Constant Contact Solution Provider. Which means I can help you with your e-mail marketing -- whether it's helping with set-up, writing the content, or managing the entire process. I can set up your contact lists, help you choose a template (and customize it with your logo and website colors), and develop your e-mail schedule. To learn more, click here.

E-mail marketing is a way to stay in front of your customers. Whether it's an e-letter, notice of a special event or sale, or just a holiday greeting, e-mail marketing should be a part of your marketing package. Let me help you get started.