Assignment #7

No, I didn't "quit"...the prompt site has been down.

OK...today's prompt. "Electricity is a recent invention. Think of 12 things to do when the power is off." Hmmmm...don't care for this one very much but let's see what I can do with it.

I know! I need practice with outlines. I'll work on outlining.

Twelve Things to Do When the Power Is Off

Family
1. Calm
2. Cuddle
3. Chat

Food
1. Grill
2. Glow
3. Gourmet

Fun
1. Games
2. Giggles
3. Gab

Faith
1. Scripture
2. Songs
3. Silence

Ok...now to write.

Storm Survival Guide

The storm howls and blows outside. Weatherbug alerts again that there is a severe storm warning in the area. Suddenly, zzzot! The power fails and the neighborhood goes black. Now what? With no computer, no TV, none of our modern conveniences available to us, what do we do until the power is restored? How will we cope? Today I offer twelve suggestions of things to do when the power is off. After all, our great-grandparents got along without it quite nicely. Surely we can too.

Family first. At our house there is a little girl and a little dog who are both afraid of storms. So the first thing that happens at our house when the power goes off is that we find the child and make sure that she is calm. Often that means that we spend some time cuddling together in the downstairs hallway while listening to the weather radio to make sure we're safe. We chat about how lightening is made and that God is watering the plants and flowers.

Once that is settled and it becomes obvious that we're in for the long haul with this power thing its time to start thinking about food. We get gourmet when the power is off. If the rain has stopped we get out the grill, which we keep supplied with gas year around after having been one of the only families in our section of the apartment complex to have the ability to cook during the ice storm of 1994. Since we know we can trust the freezer for at least a day or two we eat anything that remains in the fridge first. This has lead to some interesting combinations, but in the glow of the candlelight anything looks wonderful.

With a seven year old in the house, keeping the fun going is important. We play games by candlelight. Candyland is a favorite still around here but we've been known to get into some marathon rounds of Monopoly Jr. and Uno. We also share clean jokes and giggle together about silly things that only we find funny. Power failures can be fun. With nothing else to distract us we find time to gab about life, the universe and everything. Sometimes profound stuff comes up in the quiet. Sometimes not. But always we find something new about the people we love.

For me personally, I find the enforced quiet of a power failure is good for my faith life. I take a Kerosene lamp and find a quiet corner and spend time in my bible and prayer. I sing. Usually starting with the old southern gospel song "Til the Storm Passes By" (I was a little girl afraid of storms once too.) and moving on to contemporary praise and worship choruses that make me aware that God is in control even in the storms of life. Then I am simply silent. Quiet is hard to carve out of a normal day surrounded by the distractions and business of life. In the absence of my electronic hum, I find solitude and time to "be still and know that he is God."

A power failure can be a positive thing. A time for spending with Family, enjoying good Food and Fun and renewing my Faith. Twelve simple ideas make a time that could be a waste a joy and a memory for us all.