What did you do when the power went out this week? 

I had a few phone calls with comments like -- "What will I do with no power?" -- "Do you know how terrible it is to not have power?" -- "I will go crazy because I can not be on my computer" -- "I am bored" -- "There is nothing to do if you do not have power" -- This was just a few things that were said to me during our power outage.

Well here is what I did.

First I prayed that all those stuck in elevators or on bridges or in hospitals would be safe and no harm would come to them because of lack of power. I prayed that people's panic level would remain very minimum. I prayed that those on the highways would be courteous to others and doubly careful. I thanked God it was not a terriost attack.

Then I spent time with my family. 

As is with many of you around my age and older -- we grew up in a time when many of us did without power often or did not have it at all until we were in our teens. 

We grew up in times of outhouses and water was pumped from a well not running out of a nice shiny tap in the sink. 

We grew up in times when water was hauled in and heated in the resevoir of the wood stove or in pots on the woodstove and poured into a galvanized tub for bathing or into the wringer washer for laundry.

We grew up in times where if you were bored with nothing to do our parents could sure find us some work to do in a hurry. 

At my house when the power went out we set up the candles so they would be ready for evening in case the power did not come back on for a couple of days. We made sure we  brought up the jugs of water I keep in the cold storage room at all times for an emergency in case the water is shut off because the town is working on it somewhere. 

We made sure we had enough wood stacked in the garage in case we had a rainstorm and needed to fire up the wood stove in the rec room or the fireplace in the family room to keep out the dampness. We checked to make sure there was lots of juice made up and lots of bread in the house for sandwiches since we could not cook on the stove. Then we made sure we had enough propane so I could cook on the bbq if needed.

( After all I had to have tea so at least we could boil water on the burner on the side of the bbq if we had to.:)

After we were sure we were set for the duration -- we spent quality family time together. We chatted and we giggled and we dug out a little transister radio so we could listen to whatever news came on and have music. We sat out on the back deck and just enjoyed each other's company. We talked about "remember when" and "wonder what ever happened to so and so. We even played some charades. 

We enjoyed the beautiful weather during the day and we guessed what the shapes of clouds were. Have you ever taken the time to sit and look at the clouds and notice the interesting shapes they are. Heck we saw puppies and helicopters and so many other things in the shapes of the clouds.

The silence of the night spoke volumes. The soft twittering of the birds was so beautiful to listen to in the stillness of the night air. The twinkling of the stars was so noticeable and so pretty to look at.

Once the rest of the family had gone to bed that night I set up the candle holders and parked my butt on a chair and my feet on another chair and popped the lid on a can of Mello Yellow pop and lit a smoke and read an amazing good book. Ah yes I enjoyed that evening so much. 

All things in life happen for a reason and I feel one of those reasons was to show me how much I had to be thankful for. How many luxeries I actually had that made my life easier and more convienient. 

When I was done my reading for the night I took my candles and my poodle and I went to bed earlier then ususal and got a good nights rest. I awoke refreshed a few hours later  to find the power was back on in my town again so I got up and turned all the lights off and sat outside for awhile in the darkness again just so I could enjoy it a little longer. I was almost sorry the power had come back on so soon.

I have to wonder how some of the teenagers of this day and time would of managed if they had to grow up in the days some of us did.  :) 

Until next time 
God Bless
Misker