When the Lights Went Out

I know I've been missing in action all week and not just because of the holidays. Perhaps you heard on the news about the ice storm in southern Ontario, Canada? Well, we were right in the middle of that. We lost our power for almost 48 hours and consider ourselves blessed because six days later some people still don't have their power back.

 Thanks to a husband who enjoys camping and being prepared for emergencies we managed fairly well. We were able to cook hot meals. A hot meal is so morale lifting. The bonus for me was that my husband did all the cooking just like he does when we camp. For the first day our house stayed fairly warm - it's a good house that way. The second day was definitely cooler but living in a century farmhouse for several years when my children were younger taught me a few tricks for dressing children so they stay warm but don't feel like they can't move. I was able to make good use of the leg warmers I recently made for the baby. We also found that ten bodies in one room with a few candles on keeps everything quite warm.

My toddler kept asking whose birthday it was because we had candles out. ☺

 

About thirty hours in we lost our hot water. My husband and I had managed to get showers, but my teenage daughter was longing for one. We called up friends who still had power and went to their place where our five oldest had showers. It was so nice to sit in warmth and light. Two hours after we came home our power came back on and there was great rejoicing.

watching a movie on a battery-powered laptop

It was an interesting experience, but I feel like I've been in recovery all week. Catching up on laundry and other tasks that I wasn't able to do for two days. I started a knitting project because I couldn't sew. There is something about the feel and sound of knitting needles clicking away and the yarn slipping over the needles. I find knitting to be a very peaceful hobby.


I've also been busy the past couple of days baking "cold" cereal. I have a couple of different recipes that you bake and then crumble up. They can then be served with milk like cold cereal or used as a topping on yogurt or applesauce. They can be frozen and eaten straight from the freezer without seeming like they're frozen.

So that has been my week - crazy and upside down but we made it through. I hope you had a great time with your family during these holidays.

Are you prepared for the power going out in your home?