Fifty-Two and Fifty-Three

An unexpected power outage kept me from posting my thankful #52.  But that's one of my thankful fors for yesterday.  I have two, but who says I can't be thankful for more than one thing :)

Fifty-Two A

Well, as I said I'm quite thankful that my family was home yesterday and not out galavanting.  With the variations in temperature (it's gone from the high 70s to the 40s to the 60s to the 30s to the 50s to the 20s and now it's on it's way back up again) we have been experiencing lately my head felt as if it was going to implode yesterday.  I felt someone stuck my head in c-wrench and began tightening.  I had decided that I would just take it easy and about 3 pm I was about to turn on Prince Caspian and try and sleep off this headache.  Just before I went to press play the power went out.  But not in the way I normally expect the power to go out.  No this time it went out with a bang.  And it flickered back on only to boom and bang again.

Mom yells, "Start unplugging everything!"  The power continued to flicker like what you would see in a haunted house...like the ghosts of Mr. and Mrs. Sprinkle (the original owners) came to haunt us for all the updates we had made to their house like removing the yellow/green shag carpet and the fuzzy textured wallpaper.

TVs, lamps, DVD players, computers, Christmas trees, phones all quickly unplugged.

When Mom entered her room the TV was smoking - not a good sign.

When Dad checked the power meter outside it was smoking - again not a good sign.

Dad rushed to flip the main breaker off.

Phone calls were made to the power company and a local electrician.  The conclusion the power meter had blown triggering the outage.

As the sun began to set the house began to darken and a chill began to set in.  Mom started pulling out the hurricane gear - the flashlights, the lanterns, and the hurricane candles (aka the tall Catholic communion candles with pictures of the Virgen Mary and Jesus on them - though we're probably considered sacrilegious since the pictures have been removed) - but since there were no hurricanes to come our way this year we were limited on working flashlights and candles.  She was now contemplating whether or not to make reservations at the local Holiday Inn.

Mom said, "Why couldn't this have happened at like 10 am!"

I replied, "Well, this sure makes a better story! We'll pretend we're riding out a hurricane or that we're pioneers venturing out on the wild frontier."  This really makes a good story when my dad starts embellishing it...he had to roll on the ground to avoid the smoke, grab the flaming hot TV with his fire retardant ove-glove, while attempting to save the baby (by baby I'm assuming he means one of the dogs since we don't have one).

About time all the working lanterns and flashlights were out and all the hurricane/Catholic candles lit when God said there was light again in the Munro household.

I'm thankful we were home for this because had no one been home to turn off the main breaker the house could have burnt down.  I know it's just stuff, but having to rebuild a lifetime of memories contained in that house would be hard (when I say lifetime I mean the stuff like pictures that are irreplaceable).  But thankfully, God had us in the right place in the right time and He provided the light when we needed it!  We have a few fried appliances, electronics, and outlets but thankfully no one was hurt and the house is still standing.

Hurricane/Catholic Candles minus Jesus and the Virgen Mary plus the only working flashlight and lantern - like I said no hurricanes to prepare for this year = no hurricanes supplies!

We still had Christmas candles out - decorations serving double roles :)

I wish I could say this purpose was to illuminate the Nativity and reveal the Light of the World, but we were really just trying have enough light to see when we walked in the front door.

Fifty-Two B

One of my favorite things in the world...getting mail!  Ever since I was a kid I love to go and check the mailbox and see what the mailman/woman brought to us each day.  I get disappointed on neglected holidays like Labor Day and Veterans' Day when I go to check the mail and only to open it and find nothing at all.  

And when I say I love to get mail I love to get all types of mail - well except junky classifieds and bills.  But I love to magazines and I enjoy the missionary updates I get from several missionary friends.  In college I used to get accused of getting stuff online in order to simply get something in the mail, and I'll be honest I may have ordered some things simply to be able to open my mailbox and have a package.  I especially love to get mail from my dear family and friends.  Nothing makes my day more to get a letter or package from a dear friend or family member. 

So yesterday not only did I get mail from one of my best friends, it was international mail which makes my heart super super happy!  I thankful for friends who take time to send me mail!  I'm thankful the mail that was send (an amazing CD by Vicky Beeching - she sings my favorite song "Twenty-Six Summers" - and I'm pretty sure this CD will be one of my favorites as it's amazing!)!  I'm thankful for the blessing of an amazing friendship which thankfully continues despite the separating distance of an ocean.  

Fifty-Three

I'm thankful for wonderful friends who though they are far away took a few minutes to remind me how much they love me and how much they miss me...because I love and miss those girls something awful!  It was incredible to catch up with them for a little bit and hear their laughter.  I continue to be blessed by their friendship even though the state of Georgia and South Carolina refuse to move so we can be closer!