Ice Storm 2014
**Update: SO happy to report that our power came back Wednesday night while we were sleeping – bless those electrical workers who’ve been working 24/7 for the last 5 days! Enjoying all the benefits of electricity in a new way now!**
Pretty snow started falling last Thursday at our house, which turned into ugly freezing rain on Friday and by Saturday morning every branch was coated in ice.
Looking at these pictures I took Saturday morning, I remember thinking how beautiful everything looked all icy…until all the tree branches started snapping and the power went out.
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that we’re now on our fourth day without power, one of only 5 houses affected by a branch that brought our power line down. So most of our neighbors have electricity.
And so the electrical crews will take care of all the larger outages before getting to us, sadly. And while I feel like crying, I’m trying to focus on the positive realizing many people have it much worse than our little power outage.
The power will come on again, thankfully, but people dealing with indefinite problems like loss of work or health will not see their lives restored to the same place.
So today, I hope you’ll bear with me as I list just a few of the things I’m thankful for in a time and place where I could easily spend all my days moping and complaining.
When the power is out, I’m thankful for:
- A wood stove insert. I hated the looks of it when we first bought the house – oh, how the tides have turned! Not only does it provide heat (with free wood that we stock up on in the summer), the glass front provides light in the dark evenings and the 10 inches that stick out from the fireplace? That has become our stove top, heating water and milk for coffee, grilling cheese sandwiches and making the best quesadillas ever.
- Cast iron skillet. Used on top of the wood stove, this pan is nourishing us with the sandwiches, quesadillas, and eggs. In fact, it conducts heat so fast you have to be careful not to burn things. Seriously, like in only 30 seconds!
- Family and friends. Showers, a place to charge our equipment and work, and offers of food. So wonderful, brings tears to my eyes.
- 5-gallon plastic buckets. We’ve had these catching melting snow and now rain and have been able to use them to flush our toilets (we’re on a well with an electric pump). Yes, I just wrote that – it’s the little things when there’s no power.
- Insulated ice chests. On day two, we transferred everything over to a cooler and added some snow – the snow hasn’t even melted that cooler is so insulated!
- Candles, batteries, and lanterns. Duh.
- iPhone & iPad. Data on the phone allows me to check email and keep in touch with the world and reading on my iPad doesn’t require light, which is getting more and more important as the candles get used up.
But mostly? I am thankful for ELECTRICITY and thatĀ we live in a country that has it (mostly) consistently, because I know there are many places in the world that don’t.
Right now I’m pretty much inĀ love with it (ha!) and know I will appreciate it that much more when it comes back!
What are you thankful for?
We live in North Georgia. Had about 3 inches of snow a couple weeks ago and it caused the most chaotic mess for such a small amount. Never had that happened here with that small amount. Snowed today and the ground was white but it was gone the fastest I ever saw snow disappear. Now they are calling for ice tomorrow. I don’t like to be without power, but I know we are no better than anyone else. Plus we have a gas cook stove and 2 gas wall heaters in the basement. Thank the LORD we do have water and can flush the toilets. No hot water for showers, but can heat some for a sponge bath. We are all spoiled to these things if we have them. We are a BLESSED people to have these luxuries that so many don’t.
Hope you get your power back on soon.
BLESSINGS!!!
It’s sure nice to have the gas appliances when the electricity’s out, Charlotte!
I am thankful for you, Jami. Such a nice post today and I am hoping for you, your family and community that power is restored before long. It’s always the little things that we don’t think about often that we miss the most when they are not there. The water from our faucets, the frig, the heat in the winter. Now that you mention candles, I think of the candles I got rid of when we moved. I wish we were there to drop by and ask you guys over for dinner, a hot shower and a few comforts you don’t have right now. So happy you have friends and neighbors there for you. Bless you and may power be restored soon. ~Mary and Dave~
Thank you so much, Mary & Dave – I wish you were nearby, too! š
What a wonderful list of thankfulness, Jami. So sorry you’re having to deal with the ice & no power. I’m in Oklahoma, so ice storms are the norm in winter — they are beautiful, but can be such a drag if you lose power. We lost power in Dec. 2007 for only 4 days. We were able to stay in our home as we had city water, gas fire place, gas grill and gas water heater (hot showers!), plus the temps. were in the 40s (I think), so not life-threatening. We had 5 kids back then, with the youngest being just over a year. It really was an adventure at the time and dare I say, kind of fun. Glad it was only 4 days though. š We’re in the process of looking for a place in the country, so we’ll be having to deal with the electric pump for water from a well eventually (I’m filing away your 5 gallon bucket idea š ). Here, with so many severe spring/summer storms & the ice in winter wreaking havoc on our power, many folks keep generators to “make do” during the inevitable power outages. So, with all that — I’m thankful for generators, gas fireplaces, gas grills, convenience store coffee in their refillable mugs, wool anything, down comforters, gas water heaters and children who don’t balk at having to eat “adventure” toast that’s been made over the fire of a gas grill. Here’s hoping your electric company is able to move quickly through all the outages & get your power restored quickly. Thanks so much for sharing your story — ice storms certainly don’t come to mind when I think of your part of the country.
Wonderful list, too, Kari. š I forgot about my down comforter – I am so thankful for that, too!