No Power On Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving  our power was shut off from 1:00 p.m.  until 3:00 p.m. the following day.  Fortunately, my neighbor had warned me the previous afternoon that the power company was concerned about high winds and fire danger.  She suspected we might lose power.   So, I made all of the side dishes a day early.  She had her whole meal finished, including the turkey.  I put my stuffed chicken in the oven at 9:00 a.m. and it was fully cooked by 11:00 a.m.  I ate at noon.  

Thank goodness my neighbor had seen the notice on our local radio station's website. The power company sent me a warning call  at 12:45 p.m. on Thanksgiving day.   Many families were right in the middle of their preparations.  I feel so badly for them.  The expense, the time, energy, and excitement had really built.  (Especially during Covid-19.)  What a shame for all of those people who lost their food.

I drove to the gas station to buy more candles at 5:00 p.m.  I tripped in the dark kitchen when I got home, and broke half of them.  It was hard to sweep up the glass with just a small flashlight.   I had a hurricane lamp, but the oil must have evaporated since the last time I used it.  It flickered enough for me to take a bath, and then the flame died.  I thought I had some extra lamp oil in the cupboard, but I don't.

I ended up going to bed at 7:00 p.m.  because it was so dark.  There was nothing else to do.  You couldn't use your computer or Kindle.  It's hard to read at this age by candlelight.

The next morning, I packed up my freezer contents and Thanksgiving feast, and brought everything up to the cabin.  I had phoned my neighbor to make sure there was power up here.  I carried all of my perishables in cloth shopping bags and unloaded them into the fridge once I arrived.  I was so grateful to have a place to go, and a working fridge and freezer.

The first thing I did was to make a pot of coffee.  I had forgotten to replenish my emergency coffee supply at the cottage.  I used to keep a tin of ground coffee in the freezer for that very reason.  Without electricity, I couldn't use the coffee grinder or plug in my one cup coffee maker.  I need to leave my French press there.  I had relocated it to the cabin, because I love the flavor that it gives the coffee.  It reminds me of when I was working in Paris.  

Some people on our street had their generators running.  They are expensive and complicated to install.  I plan to buy more lamp oil, a lantern, several of those religious candles, and a huge flashlight.  My emergency radio/flashlight didn't work, because it is solar.  Live and learn.  We were very fortunate.  

All's well that ends well, as my dad used to say.  Have you ever experienced a power outage?  Were you prepared?   

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