Well, who knew we would be breaking so many weather records in the past few days??
February 2021!!
Not our normal landscape!
February 2017!
Green grass and flowers blooming.......
Virtually every single county in Texas has been under a Winter Storm Warning!
This must be the first time EVER we have ALL been in the deep freeze at the same time!
Galveston this week.....
Galveston in February 2018....taken on our Sibling Trip.
The Ranch February 2019
February last year! 2020!
We have been hunkered down and mostly without power since Sunday.
It is called controlled outages and at first it wasn't too bad.
Then by Monday it was mostly OUT.
I gathered up all my candles and oil lamps using the flashlight on my phone to find them.
My bathroom is pitch dark so I have to leave some light buring in there at all times.
The fireplace has been a blessing to us.
I was planning on taking photos of my new countertops.......
but I didn't know it would be by candlelight!
I put at least some light in every room......
the oil lamps were NOT clean but I burned them anyway!
My house is on the dark side so we have stumped our toes walking through the rooms more than once.
It didn't help that we had so much disorder still going on from getting the new countertops and extra debris was everywhere!
Even working without power, the kitchen is all put back together.
Sherry asked me if I had open counter space now.
What do you think?
I don't have all those glass cutting boards on there and NO textiles covering anything.
But, yes, we still have lots of things on the counters BUT it can all be easily moved for baking days.
I did do away with a plate rack and that freed up a good bit of space......and I got rid of the toaster.
The power came on Monday just long enough to make coffee, do a few things and heat up our beef stew from the weekend before the power was gone. Again.
The rest of the day was cold and dark. I napped some of the hours away and read and did some routine housework. It helped that I had hot water in the kitchen. It just felt good to feel hot water running over my hands.
I woke up when the lights came on Tuesday morning and RAN hurried to the kitchen to make coffee! I'd already decided I could make a cup of hot tea using very hot tap water that we had at the time. For some reason the 'instant' hot water thingy we had installed started working - for awhile. But we didn't need tea since I could make coffee! I should have cooked some oatmeal......but I didn't.
I was hoping I would have power for a little longer. Nope. Just two glorious hours!
So no hot food on Tuesday!
We skipped breakfast and had tuna salad for lunch. And cottage cheese and crackers.
For dinner we had peanut butter and banana sandwiches with chips and hot sauce!
Our cats have been a lot of company.....
Since it has been so dark inside, I pulled open some curtains in the den and Samantha just loved sitting in the sunlight.
I pulled their little cat house where the sun would land on it from the kitchen French doors.
She played on it for an hour or more.
Did I mention I use catnip spray on their toys?
The power was more off than on Monday and Tuesday so I would take my book and a glass of wine out to the car to charge my phone and hot spot every afternoon around 5:00.
My own personal Happy Hour!
Tuesday night's entertainment.......a book and a glass of wine by the warmth of the fireplace.
Tuesday morning was the coldest.
2 degrees! We had some power come on and off through the night so it was never freezing inside the house. We have slept warm because we have layered quilts and covers on the bed. The cats have been comfy since I kennel them at night and cover the crate with warm throws.
This morning - Wednesday - I woke up at 7:30 when the power came on and went straight to the kitchen, turned on the coffee that I had prepared the night before and put the bacon on the tray for the microwave and started a pot of water to boil to make oatmeal! I also boiled four eggs and then decided to go ahead and boil some potatoes. One day without any hot food was enough!
I figured I could use an iron skillet on the gas fire grate and cook up some bacon, onions and potatoes if we needed some hot food later. Which, as it turns out, we didn't. We have had power all day and have it still......
I walked over to my neighbors late this afternoon - wearing snow boots and a parka - to check on their house while they are basking in the sun on a tropical island (Good for them!!!) and the whole neighborhood smelled so good! It was the smoke from our fireplace! Louis Dean brought a load of the old elm pieces so I have had a nice fire going all day. We have power for the central heat but I have set it really low to save on electricity since we can use the fireplace.
I have spent the last two days working in the den.
One mostly in the dark and today in the light.
I have yet one more day to clean the area behind the sofa but I no longer dread coming into this room.
It was a wreck!
No before pictures, thank goodness!
We are just about at the end of this ordeal adventure and I am pretty happy about that!!
I will close this journal entry with a cute photo of my Amber!
She made her very own snowman!!
They have had a ball!
The kids- AND the parents - have played in the snow, sledded through the neighborhood and had so much fun!
I did make snow ice cream and just remembered I have it sitting outside the bedroom door.
Sweetened condensed milk and snow......plus a little bit of regular whole milk.....it's pretty good.
The snow is 'deep' to the freezer outside....as in 6-7 inches.
Tomorrow I will make that short trip and plop it in to enjoy later when these Deep Freeze days will be more about memories.
**Source**
From my clever and entertaining nurse cousin, Carrie!
I love her humor.
She is the daughter in law of my cousin's wife.
I think of most of my relatives as cousins.
She's a nurse and I do remember to pray for her every single day.
This was from our Chandy Girl who has been through so much more than we have with this Weather Event!
Now I will really close with a memory from February 2017.....
how I treasure those precious Siblings Trips!!!
Goodnight from Texas!!
13 comments:
Oh Brrr, stay warm girl! When we had power out for a couple of days I realized how much I depend on electricity and how much I need it. That is amazing to see the map of Texas and all the counties snowbound. My sister in Wisconsin said it is brutally cold and snowed in there too, and last night was minus 6 where they live. Your cats have very pretty coats, I must add.
I have been wondering how you are faring, so it is good to see a post from you. Texas is so much in the news today, and none of it good! I am so relieved you are both well and have power now, hopefully for good! HEY, we have the exact same cat house!!!
so happy to see this post today, fretting over you and others there in TX while watching the disaster on TV.. now i can stop fretting that the two of you and ambers family are ok. i assume Dean and Sherry are ok, or you would have told us.. i did not realize how many TX friends I have to fret over. bob said to tell you, you have great survival skills. he is talking about your book reading phone charging car drinking skills. ha ha
Glad to see your post and know you are okay and how you are managing in this crazy weather. Some people are having such a hard time. I say in the news a furniture store opened its doors to people to stay because they had electricity and others did not. My kids are in Brenham and they are doing okay too. Will the bees and other animals at the ranch be okay?
Very happy to have an update from Texas. No mocking here. I have been most concerned about you folks. (i was surprised that your home has windows. 🙃 That's a tease, not a mock.) Keep taking good care of yourselves.
Linda, You and LD have been in my prayers. I knew you both would be smart enough to make it thru the tough times. I have prayed for all of you in Texas. Gee I would never wish hard times on anyone. I have been doing a few tricks here to keep our pipes from freezing. Leaving cabinet doors open under the sink and vanities. Running a fan in the basement, to help circulate air around the pipes. I am so ready to be able to sleep this weekend. Of course once those 40 degree days get here these 4 foot drifts around the house will melt. Yuck more worry. Stay warm, safe and always stay smart. Blessings to you both, love , xoxo, Susie
So glad to hear you are making it okay. Yes, these historical events are getting pretty old aren't they? Praying for warmer temperatures!!
Happy...Happy...Happy...
I am so happy to see this post and that you 2 are doing okay.
I think you were very good about making do..what an "adventure"
Stay warm, stay safe and keep on journaling.
Love you my friend.
Sue
Snow ice cream! What adventures you have been having - all while at home! Now that you have both been vaccinated will you be able to visit Lillian?? Cheers
I haven't mocked anyone, because how could you expect to be prepared for such weather? I think your temperatures are going up so everything should unfreeze!
Praying for those who had pipes burst. What a horrible thing.
Glad you and Louis Dean have been cozy at home, and I'm glad your adventure seems to be over!
It has been a very long week for us all..glad it's winding down! Warmth, and food, along with water has been a real blessing! Glad y'all are ok!
Glad you have been managing with all those candles, il lamps, and fireplace as you are always the most resourceful person, Linda. We too have heard from friends near Lubbock and also on South Padre Island and they too were without power, but now have it but still no water. I was also thinking about you and Louis Dean and so glad to read this post. Things surely were difficult and hopefully improving. The new countertops looked lovely even by candlelight.
You have been through a lot. I love that you were so prepared with candles and good that you could eat cold. I have been thinking about you and wondering how you were doing. Hopefully, power will be back on for good soon. I'm with you - enough historic events! Take care. Prayers for you to get the power back on to stay.
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