Things you learn during a power outage

The ever crucial O&R outage map

This past weekend brought a few surprises...including an early snow storm (I've seriously never seen any snow before Halloween, let alone 4-6 inches) and an unexpected power outage. On Saturday afternoon, as I was getting ready to settle in the den to watch a movie and contemplating when the best time to build a fire might be, my roommates and I watched a large branch from  the tree in our front yard crash onto the power lines, effectively demolishing our power, as well as the power for the entire block. 

Power has yet to be restored, but life must continue- I still have work and school each day. So...here's what I've learned so far:

• Scented candles are lovely. But when you light 10 different smells at once because you are trying to see in the dark, it makes the house smell like some strange cross between a flower shop and bakery and causes asthma attacks. Giant packs of unscented votives and white candles in jars are brilliant during a power outage, and are cheaper to boot.
• Candle lit dinners with an intelligent and interesting man while we eat gourmet food- romantic. Candle lit homework, dishes, showers, cleaning, and cooking? Not romantic.
• Be grateful for the little things. Like hot water, a fireplace, and a working stovetop. Or an office that is well lit and warm. Or friends who let you crash at their place for awhile and hangout. Or a job. Or the promise the electric will be restored and the momentary inconveniences will fade away. When I focus on those things, I realize that a. they are not little things and b. that what I am dealing with right now is just not important. 
• Simpler is better. If I can cook a decent meal in one pan with four ingredients, maybe that's a better plan. Streamlining my schedule and dividing up work efficiently is easier than stopping and starting. 
•  Resources are limited. That does not mean God cannot provide. But it means I need to do a better job of respecting and utilizing what He has given me. It means I will waste less, save more, and be a better steward. 
• It's okay for me to be in the situation and not be thrilled with it, but I still need to have enough of a sense of humor to realize eventually, this will be funny. It's not okay that I wake up coughing because its so cold in my house, and that I had to wait to use my nebulizer until I got to a place that had electricity. But it's funny to watch my housemate roast quiche leftovers in foil on an open fire. Or to wash dishes by candlelight. Or to drink melted rocky road ice cream. Those moments make me laugh, and will be fun to remember later on, when the tree falling is just a memory and I am not lighting candles to get ready for work in the morning.