The Power of No Power

Right now I'm in the middle of the "everday magic" experience of not having any power at my house. A very severe windstorm - a combination of the remnants of Hurricane Ike and a cold front - knocked out power to hundreds of thousands in Central Ohio. All the neighborhoods around us got power back within 24 hours but we are still without electricity almost 48 hours later. School is out for the second day but unfortunately my office has power (which is where I am now) so no vacation for me. Some observations:

- No matter how much I know I don't have electricity, I still hit the light switch every time I go in and out of a room.

- It's very liberating to know there's no use taking the computer or any work home because there's no way to do it.

- It's liberating not having to spend the evening doing housework, laundry, etc. There's actually a feeling of boredom at night when we can't do anything else. I haven't felt that in a long time!

- It's also very liberating not to spend time in front of the computer and TV. I miss the computer and internet but can at least access it at work and email by phone. I think I'd really be going crazy if I didn't have that.

- It's interesting to see my kids try to figure out what to do without the computer and TV. Alex, especially, is lost. I didn't realize how dependent they are on those things.

- There are so many things we take for granted that we can't do or have to work around - like remember to take a key to the front door (since we can't get in and out of the garage), not put food down the garbage disposal, can't dry my hair, can't iron (which is getting to be a problem since we iron as we go), can't do laundry.

- We are eating great dinners - all sitting down together -- since we have to use up our food before it spoils and all extracurricular activities are pretty much cancelled.

- I have read an entire book (Prizewinner of Defiance County) by flashlight!

- Apparently the preferred comfort food for Westerville residents without power is Ben & Jerrys! Alex and I decided to get some ice cream for a treat in the dark last night. We had to get a small carton to eat in one shot since there's no way to keep a carton cold. I was all psyched for "Chubby Hubby" but Meijer was all out of most B&J flavors. Haagen Daz in the quart container was plentiful as where other brands - all on sale. B & J was wiped out.

- There is a strange feeling of disconnectedness without access to the Internet and TV. I find myself actually listening to the radio for news and looking forward to getting the paper.

- There is also a strange feeling of disequilibrium. We are not suffering physically or financially in any way right now but there is a strange feeling of the universe being off-balance, and a slight feeling of my world being "rocked."

I Remember Like It Was Yesterday

Sometimes everday magic is recalling a bittersweet memory. Most of the time these days I'm doing good if I remember what I did 20 minutes ago, but on this "Back to School Eve" I remember so clearly this day 9 years ago. We had only been in our house a few months then. I was sitting with Alex on the front porch ruminating on the realization that the next day he would start Kindergarten and today was the last "totally free" day of his life - the last day before the long road of education began. I remember thinking that "tomorrow I give my baby to the world." Things would never be the same. Tonight I ruminate and shed some tears over the fact that tomorrow he starts high school. I remember that August day in 1999 so, so clearly that it had to be just yesterday. And, on Thursday, I watch Mackenzie start her Senior year. Really, where does the time go?

Another "Small World" Encounter

Part of the reason I started this blog was to track the times that I ran into or reconnected with old friends or people from my past since people tell me that happens to me more than anyone else they know - and usually in unusual ways. Well, it hasn't happened in awhile but tonight I had another "coincidental reconnection" . . .

We went up to Ashland tonight for Mackenzie's first soccer game of the season. We won. As we were standing in the parking lot talking to my parents who came to the game, an Ashland parent called out to us "good luck with the rest of your season" to be nice. He started to get in his car but Dwight called over to him with a question about their team. The guy came over to us and started talking. All of a sudden, I realized that I was talking to Parrish Lanzer -- a friend from grade school and high school. We played in the orchestra together from 4th grade through Senior year. His daugther was the Ashland goalie. The funny thing is that I would never have known it was him if he hadn't made his "good luck" comment and Dwight asked him a question. It's weird to think that the whole game I was watching the daughter of a good friend from school play soccer and almost didn't even known it. Makes you wonder how many other "close encounters" you have with people from your past that you never know about!

Angel Says: Clear Your Space

The Angels are speaking (or giving me a needed kick in the butt!). I have been working on cleaning out my craft room/office for weeks and weeks. I put a bunch of stuff out in the hall that's just been sitting there cluttering everything up. I just can't seem to get enough time or energy to get the room organized. So, it remains an impossible, cluttered mess. Tonight, I went in there determined to get more done. As I got started, I found in a pile some "angel cards" a friend gave me. It's a deck of cards. Each card represents an angel with a message. You are supposed to select cards, ask a question about something you want to work on or have answered in your life and the Angels' messages on the cards will give you guidance. One way to work with the cards is to spread them out in front of you and select 3 cards you are drawn to in some way or select a card that physically sets itself apart some way. So, to procrastinate from cleaning and organizing, I started playing with the cards. At one point while shuffling the cards I found one that had fallen behind something. I took this to be one of the cards that set itself apart physically so - - it must have great meaning for me! I picked it up and started laughing - the angels' message was, "Clear Your Space! You will better reach your goals and attain the peace of mind you seek if you rid yourself of clutter." The Angel has spoken! Back to work!

Sad Ducks

It's really sad - at work they are draining two beautiful ponds we have around the building to put in more parking ("They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."). As I was walking into the building yesterday, there was just a little bit of water left. What appeared to be a family of ducks stood on the edge of the water line staring at their diminishing pond. It really looked liked they were sad ducks watching their home being destroyed. It made me sad until I saw one of the ducks start "marching" towards the workmen draining the pond. The duck got about as close as he dared to the men and then started flapping his wings - I took this to be the duck equivalent of the middle-finger salute! It made me smile. You go, ducks! Somebody had to tell them.

Totally Summer

As I sit here at the computer on this beautiful mid-August summer night the kids behind us are running around outside - screaming, laughing and playing flashlight tag I think. It hit me how far away from this I am getting. My kids don't run around in the summer darkness anymore playing some kind of game. Tonight Mackenzie is working and Alex is hanging out in the park with his friend Patrick and a couple of girls. And, it's been SO long since I ran around chasing lightening bugs. shooting baskets in the dark, and playing flashlight tag. I barely remember it until a night like tonight with all the windows open, a cool summer breeze, and the kids screaming outside brings it all back. What a feeling - total freedom, total energy, total joy, and totally summer!

Wait - Alex just came in with Patrick and Lauren. They're going to play Cornhole in the backyard! Maybe there's still a thread of childhood summer left at our house.

Gratitude - Even With Teenagers

Everyday Magic is . . . having teenagers that will "hang out" with Mom and Dad - spending all day at the fair with them - and seeming to enjoy it! :)