Tag Archives: electricity

Writing Anyway

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Our power is going on and off.  The internet is down, again.  Living in the country is wonderful, but not so wonderful for the latest and greatest technology. 

Anyway, I wasn’t going to write.  No wordpress.com available, little laptop battery left, yada, yada, yada.  I am thinking about writers before the dawn of the computer.  Pen, paper, and sometimes, quill, parchment, candlelight.  Or even before that, stone and chisel.  Torches. 

The urge to write, to create, to express ideas is strong in writers.  Or at least it should be.  God has created us in His image, and He is the ultimate Creator, the ultimate Writer.  Nothing stops Him. 😊

So I am writing this on my low battery, and giving myself an inner lecture.  Because I can write anytime, and I don’t need a fancy laptop and high-speed internet to do it.  Even if no one reads it, it is cathartic, it is satisfying, it stimulates a good productive part of my brain that needs to be away from the infernal internet. 

Maybe you will read this on the blog today, and maybe not.  But either way, I wrote.  And if the battery dies, I will find a nice pad of paper and my favorite pen.  I just hope I don’t have to find a chisel.  Lol

Lisa

Postscript – As you can see, the internet came back for now. So the blog is posted. But this has given me much food for thought…..do I write for others, or for the joy of writing, or for God? Maybe for all mentionned? How do I feel after I write? How would all of us do if internet and electricity were down long term? Wow…..can opened, worms everywhere….(thank you, Chandler Bing from F.R.I.E.N.D.S)

Ode to Hot Water

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shower

There was a time in my life when I romanticized living in the past…walking around with crinolined skirts all day, riding by horse and wagon to town, dancing in ballrooms.  You get the idea.  But the past few days showed me the wonders of our modern day and all its conveniences.  Like many others, we lost power due to the March snowstorm that hit the east coast.  No showers, no working toilets, no warm stoves and no computers.  And I realized how much I love those things and appreciate the marvels of technological advancements.  That first shower last night after the power roared back to life….I now feel moved to compose a tribute.  🙂

“Ode to Hot Water”

Sluggish, stiff and lank, the people waited

Stepping into steamy streams of warmth, they rejoiced

Muscles relaxed, scents of soaps and shampoos surfaced

Standing longer than they should, the water surrounded and comforted

For a time, the people did not take for granted

If you are blessed with hot water and warmth today, rejoice!  Slainte, Lisa

 

Boom in the Night

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On Monday night, Hurricane Sandy blew through our part of Virginia.  The rain was substantial, but the wind….let’s just say that I didn’t like it, at all.  (which is a grown up way of saying that I got scared 🙂  )  About 8 PM, I was laying in bed with my youngest, singing her lullabies, when we saw a huge flash of light, and heard a big “boom!”  Then downstairs, I heard my husband say “What was that?” and my other daughter said, “There’s a fire in the backyard!”  Needless to say, Amy & I got up in a flash and ran to the back window, where we saw the electrical pole/transformer that’s in our back yard sparking, then starting a pole fire.  Sparks were flying onto our outbuilding’s roof and into the woods.  I called 911, and was reporting it, when all of a sudden….”BOOM!” again, huge white/green flash explosion, scary electrical surge sound in the house.  Then finally, a final and even bigger explosion which made the whole house shake and feel like it was on fire.  The phone line and electricity in the house was gone suddenly, and we were all quickly making our way downstairs, in the dark, making sure we had everybody and our dog.  All I could think of was to get out of there.  Thankfully, my cool-headed husband realized that the house wasn’t actually on fire, and when he looked outside, he saw that the fire was completely out in the backyard.  (Thank You, Lord!)  So we stayed, and prayed, and then prayed some more.  And then the wind stopped around 3 AM, and I have never been so happy to hear the quiet return.

Here are some pictures of our awesome Rappahannock Electric guys rebuilding our pole the next morning….

The wind and tree broken transformer pole

The live wires that fell into our yard

REC workers to the rescue

So long story short, I am thankful, for life, for the fire going out, for utility and rescue workers, mostly for the mercy of God.  For any of you who went through worse experiences further north, I am continuing to lift you up in my prayers, for strength through these coming rebuilding days.  Blessings, Lisa