As I’m writing this, I’m staring at over a foot of snow outside my window. It was the cause of massive power outages and hundreds of traffic accidents this weekend. I wonder how something so breathtakingly beautiful can cause so much havoc?
Friday morning we lose our power and within minutes the house became freezing cold and very silent. Everything that we are in the middle of doing abruptly stops. I always forget how reliant we are on electricity until this happens. Daytime is bearable, but as the sun sinks behind the mountains, a depression comes over me. I know that besides the obvious cold to the bones, I’m going to start to feeling claustrophobic, a challenge I have faced for years.
I light candles and pray. It is the Jewish Sabbath and I’m hoping that my prayers will be heard along with millions of others all over the world. I remind my husband how lucky we are to be Jewish and have a year’s supply of Sabbath candles for situations like this. It is also the 8th night of Chanukah and soon my living room is filled with light. Though I know it will only last a few hours, the sight comforts me.
My husband and I spend the night huddled in front of a gas fireplace that is pretty but useless. He brings me another blanket and we wrap ourselves up wishing for the morning light. It’s too cold to talk …We lie there silently.
In the morning, we fill two coolers with snow and try to salvage some of our food. It’s too late for the 4 quarts of chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream that I bought the other day on sale. (The reason for so many) As I’m emptying the freezer, I accidentally drop one of the cartons on the floor. I stand there like a zombie watching it spread everywhere. I am tempted to get a straw from the cupboard and start slurping.
I look at my husband and he quickly offers to clean up my mess. I guess after 33 years, he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
