powerless

As many know, our area got hit by a really bad windstorm last week.  Thankfully, we are all safe and sound, but we lost a beautiful oak tree in our backyard, and a few other trees and plants got uprooted.  We also lost power for about 2 days, which doesn't seem like a long time (some people are still without electricity), but was an incredibly humbling experience for us.  No power meant no contact with the outside world (unless we braved the fallen trees and debris-strewn streets all around us).  We just got our internet connection back yesterday, and I didn't realize how helpless I felt without it.  How was I going to pay my bills (which I do online)?  How was I going to book our rental car for our upcoming trip?  What about all the Christmas presents I wanted to purchase online?  It's all so superficial, especially in light of the storm, but it did put things in perspective.  Sitting in the dark, candles lit all around us, flashlights propped up, and the fireplace going for warmth, I was reminded again how blessed we are by technology and modern amenities.  Adam and I both made a mental note to be better prepared in case of a natural disaster.  I hope it makes all of us wake up a little to realize what we have, and be prepared for what may happen.

We dealt with our lack of power by doing as much as we could during the daylight hours and eventually by getting out of the house so we could regain a sense of normalcy.

We sought refuge at our friend's salon while Adam was getting his hair cut.

We met up with my best friend, Kathy, for lunch and then did some Christmas shopping.

Ella and I took advantage of the daylight and did lots of laundry together.