Only 3 degrees in Texas, and power is deliberately shut off

 

The aroma of a Butterscotch Bundt cake is swirling throughout the "now warm" house from the oven, for which I am beyond grateful that I can use today. How comforting this simple scent can make me happy and feel as if things will turn out okay. And how much I realize I take for granted in an " every day simple life", when things stop working and make a simple life .......difficult.

As most of  you know, my husband and I live in Texas.  And if you have been watching the drama unfold on the news, we among the millions were unpleasantly "shut off" from electricity during one 

of the most unusual and frigid nights known to Texas.  Snow, ice, and the temperature dropping down to 3 degrees on Monday(the 15th)  made us grateful to be in the warmth of our home and sound asleep in our bed...........when at 3:00 AM I awoke and  realized the house was freezing and in pitch black. 

I hurriedly made a fire in the fireplace and we were trying to wonder why the power had gone off. 

Thank goodness for our fireplace, although the rest of the house was freezing, we had comfort in our living room from the constant fire.  

 The next morning, the realization that this power outage had been done to us on purpose by the power company,  left us in shock and frustration. 

We knew this terrible cold storm was coming and had made preparations by gathering wood and placing a space heater in our well house to prevent our water from freezing.  Because of the outage........our well and inside plumbing froze.

Power did not come back to us until Wednesday.........for which we are grateful...........but we are still without running water........... We still have snow on the ground and the ground is rock hard frozen.  It will take days for it to thaw out......along with the worry of busting pipes. 

To hear of how the power companies have failed us and to learn that they now plan to charge us and astronomical fee because they are privately owned..........makes it even more stressful.  I do not know how we will be able to pay such a fee if these rumors are true.

However, through this all.........we had fireside coffee..........and I made many treats and meals at the fireplace and we enjoyed talking.........about" whatever" with the absence of politics and the news of calamity on the television. 

  Before the snow, the sleet and ice came......... the trees dark from the moisture and frozen in layers of crystal ice looked as if they were caught in a black and white scene from an old movie. I  always think the woods are lovely like this.

A spider's web looks like a large snowflake caught on the twigs

During the day with no light, I sat by the large dining room window , which provided bright light for me to work my embroidery.  I stitched and watched the wild birds and deer come up for feed.

When we got our power back on,  I was so grateful to find emails and messages from dear friends wanting to know if we were okay.  Words of encouragement and prayers said did my heart such good!

In spite of the frigid cold, I took a walk to capture the sunset on the ice and snow, which made the sky in soft colors of pink and the landscape in soft lavender. I have never seen a winter sunset like this before.

This brought to mind the words of Gladys Taber...........

"There is, I have found, at least one good or lovely thing in every single day. Everyone has sorrows, endures difficult times, but loveliness abides if we look for it."

I hope this finds you in comfort and warmth and with something good or lovely to

enjoy with your day!

*************UPDATE 2/19/2021******

Thank  you all for your words of encouragement and just wanted 

to say that today was sunny and almost all of the snow has melted. 

To answer Beatrice P Boyd's question on how I made the cake without

water?  We are stocked up with drinking water and I used that 

for the cooking and baking. 

During the cold snowy days, I went out each day and scooped up fresh snow. 

I then melted it, stored it and have used it for dish washing, cleaning, and flushing.

Hopefully by this weekend our well will be thawed and we 

will have running water

Wishing you a very Happy Valentine's Day

Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart. 

Author unknown

 

It is a black and white day of frost.

 

" The air smells of frost. The house is making the soft breathing sounds very old houses make at night."  

Gladys Taber

As we said farewell to the old year, snow began to fall

 

We awoke on New Year's day to 10 1/2 inches of snow on the ground.

It was a winter wonderland all over.

Just a few days later...........along came another snow.

5 1/2 inches this time.

Usually, snow in our area is light, and I like to sit on the front 

porch with a cup of coffee and enjoy watching the flakes fall down.........

well........I was not able to sit out at this time.

The wild birds were very hungry and happy to find feed.

and the little woodpecker still clung and pecked at the frozen trees.

now, snow has gone and the  past few days have been pleasant with some 

of the most beautiful sunsets. 

Usually I have new things that I want to do when the new

year comes..........but I have come to a stage in my life

that now.........I have things that I do not want to do.

I have come to realize that life is more simple and happier

when I recognize there are things I will not try to accomplish

and not to keep doing as I did in the past years. 

But one thing I will keep doing is to keep up my hope and faith as

we go into this new year. 

I hope this finds that you have had a happy beginning to your new year and that you keep hope and faith as you go forward in the days to come.

When life gives you

lemons...........cactus,

make lemonade........something pretty......with a little bit of cement and imagination.........

Armed with a pick ax, a pitch fork and

a wheelbarrow,  I have started working

at clearing the cactus that has it's intentions on taking over

the acreage. 

I have spent many hours and many days, 

whacking,  and placing the cactus into a wheelbarrow

and clearing the land, 

I am carrying it out to the edge of our property

with the hopes of much of it dying out on top of

itself.  This pile will be easier to kill out than with

it spread across the acreage. 

I do appreciate the natural beauty of the landscape,

and I do not want to hire someone to just plow over

the cactus or the other natural plants that live here.

My plan is to leave only a few of the large cactus

bushes.........

because in late spring they are covered in beautiful 

blooms

I am creating a natural "dry garden" 

A place to walk along paths and to enjoy

the beauty of the landscape, 

without running into too much harshness from

thorns.

And with a new uncertain year approaching, 

I am hoping........ we can all not have" harshness or thorns"

to run into on life's path

My prayer for you as this year ends, 

is that you will not look back, but that 

you will have much good and happy times to look 

forward to in the new year to come .

 

Seasons Greetings

Whatever else be lost among the years,

Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing;

Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears,

Let us hold close one day, remembering

Its poignant meaning for the hearts of men.

Let us get back our childlike faith again.

Grace Noll Crowell, "Let Us Keep Christmas," 1939

 

Simply........thank you......everyone

 for your comforting words of support and your shared stories of grief in connection

 to my latest post of 

the mishaps that had come along.  I still miss the crowing of the roosters and the cackling of the hens, 

but I still need time on deciding about a new brood.

Our family member is doing well and looks to be continuing to do so.

It is a comfort to know  that, although, we all do not know each other personally..........

we have come to be connected with our hearts all of these years ......through blog land. 

I am thankful for all of you dear ones!

The month of November was just the prettiest fall month that I could ask for.

The little oak tree out back has donned on it's vibrant read and orange leaves and 

seems to wave happily in the wind to me when I step out into the day.

I was surprised on one early morning when a young doe, came up to get a drink

just a little bit away from me. 

 I had not noticed her until I had stepped inside and 

saw her through the window. 

 Grazing turkeys also came to into the yard and settled down underneath the 

twisted old trees in the front part of the yard for a short rest.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, with 2 of our children( although

missing and wishing the third could have been with us,) 

There was wonderful food, happy chatter, 

and much to be thankful for

One of the longest bullsnakes I have ever seen was slithering it's way across,

but kindly stopped and posed for a good photo.

I have the greenhouse prepared and stocked with the plants for the winter.......

It is filled with my plumeria , lemon trees, the ever loyal purple blooming flower that 

I do not know the name of, and my cactus collection. 

Also in the greenhouse , waiting for spring, are pails of planted tulip bulbs.

I decided to give a try at planting tulip bulbs in metal pails, in hopes that they

will sprout and bloom next spring. Any kind of bulb planted in the grounds here, do not do well.

.  Something is always finding them and digging them up for a snack

I also planted dutch iris in a long metal container, and to my surprise, they have

already sprouted, due to the warm weather we have had in November.

They are in the safety of the greenhouse, so hopefully, I will have some pretty blooms soon. 

December has arrived with the cold and chill of wind, rain, and the happiness of

the Christmas season in the air.

I  have the Christmas tree up and the Christmas music on.........

it seems to make everyone......very happy!

Here's wishing you a sense of happiness and peace

during the holiday season!