Power Outage!

Over the past few days our state has been hit major power loss problems. First it was the ice storm, then falling trees, and now we are having a new round of outages probably caused by the process of fixing the previously downed lines. Emergency Services says that it will be at least 7 more days for everyone in our town to have service restored - and it has already been out for 4 days.

At first the change of routine was fun. We were able to read by lantern light, snuggle by the fire, and I was thrilled that my husband got out of work early. We took the time to finish up on some of our Christmas shopping (in the stores with generators or who hadn't been affected) and visit with family. It was kinda' like an unplanned vacation.

During the 2nd day of the outage we took the kids on the "Santa Express."   They had a fabulous time riding the train and we all enjoyed some extra family time together.  

Luckily ours was one of the first homes to have power restored (we live near a local school), so while we were still up North our family was able to come by to warm up , take showers, and enjoy the unsung indulgance of flushing toilets.

This is what I came home to:

I love the scent of baking, the joy of seeing 3 expectant faces asking if they are done yet and then happily munching when they are finally ready, the feeling of accomplishment having FINISHED a project. But even better is walking into your own house to the decadent scent of an afternoon of baking, and not having to lift a finger.

They will only last a few days - maybe less if my husband gets another day off - but we will enjoy them while we can, as we bask in the luxury of a nice warm home and functioning appliances.

Sadly, many of our neighbors aren't having fun anymore. They are living at the local high-school or with friends and hoping that their pipes don't freeze and their basements don't flood. The kids are getting grumpy from the change in their routine and even the pets are getting shuffled off to the Animal Rescue League to keep warm. If you get a chance please pray for them. It certainly can't be easy to be displaced at this time of year.