Brrrrr Cold With No Power in Our Home After Sandy

Brrrrr COLD with no power. Not so much during the day when you can pick a spot on the sofa where the sun is shining in from a window hitting you in just the right spot. Wearing 2 sets of PJ pants, 2 pairs of socks with slippers, 2 long sleeve shirts with that oh so handy old navy puffer vest. It is the kind of cold that you are surprised to not see your breath visible before you. 

The darkness in the house is second in line of challenges. Yes, at night of course when I trip over something the kids left in the middle of the floor while balancing a candle. Yes, that one lonely candle is all we are willing to burn so we can have enough for the week if need be, as it turns out it has been need be. Yes, trying to find anything in a closet or drawer is almost impossible at best at night.

This is all challenging, but more than that, is the depression that floats over the whole house as darkness envelops us day after day after day, night after night. The cold and the dark combined is endurable for a few days, but hitting day 4, day 5, day 6, well... we were starting to get down and get on each others nerves to be honest. You can only play so many games of Uno and chess with the kids.

Sunday morning we decided to have home church and read Galatians 5:22 that talks about having Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Long-Suffering, Kindness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. All of these things were much needed by this time in our family arsenal to survive. We decided to focus on the JOY part on Sunday. It seemed like all the joy had leaked out of our gas tanks until there was a big Empty stamped on our foreheads  So, we decided to make a real effort to sing together throughout the day, play silly games, make light of things and try to laugh often. By the end of the day all huddled in the same big bed under tons of blankets pulled out of the attic, lighting the room with a single pillar candle, we giggled as we went to sleep full of Joy in the face of great disaster and devastation for our brave little community called Cranford.

Our house still has a huge tree down in the front yard blocking our front door. We still have a LIVE powerline dangling in our grass and sidewalk. Police tape still wraps around the front of our property, but with love for each other, seeking joy in the little things, and the kindness of a few but treasured neighbors, we are grateful. 

(To our neighbors who came to our rescue with homemade hot food, cookies, an extension cord from our house to theirs to have a light and charging station last night, and a wonderful visit to their warm abode for lunch, talks, and a chance for my kids to play with theirs as well as do laundry, thanks a million. It was a lifeline that brought much JOY in the midst of great challenge. To the Chan, the Leight, and the Walsh Families we owe a ton of gratitude:)