We’d Been Telling the Kids We’d Go Camping Someday

The pink cloud on the Doppler closed in. We got four inches of sleet, and one inch of freezing rain. It looked like this:

Pretty, isn’t it? But do you see all those drooping branches? They break off. It sounds like a war is being fought outside your window. When large branches hit your roof, your children wake up.

Then the power goes off.

And so the adventure began. We lost power in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, and it stayed off for 32 hours.

Have I ever mentioned that our house is all electric?

It’s amazing how your priorities change. Monday evening I was casually perusing the Internet. I was a little worried about the power going out, but since it was only sleet, I thought we’d be okay. Then the freezing rain started. We have a fireplace, but no wood. I was a little worried.

It was about that time that a branch about as big around as my leg fell off the oak tree in the front yard. After my heart started beating again, I realized that finding firewood was not going to be that big of a problem.

It was touch and go for a while. When your wood is freshly cut and coated with an inch of ice, it takes a bit of work to get a fire going. I was reminded of that Jack London short story that most people read in Junior High. I just wanted a fire. After a couple of hours of effort, a lot of newspapers and cardboard, and some serious praying, the fire started blazing. I now love wood, fireplaces, and woodstove inserts. I have apologized several times in my head for ever calling the woodburning insert ugly. I said a prayer of thanks approximately every fifteen minutes for the fire in the fireplace.

We were much better off than most. It was 65 degrees in our family room. We had plenty of food. Even little things, like a radio that plays the audio for the local television station feel like the height of luxury (I’m thinking I may need to invite the local news team over for supper).

And today things are back to normal. We have electricity, heat, cable TV, phone, and Internet. Life is good. I am so very grateful.

Subscribe to Writing and Living by email or in a reader.