Down the Rabbit Hole

By Lantern Light

Irene has come and gone and most of state is still recovering. We lost power for about five hours total, while most of the family still remains in the dark.I don't know how people are coping, some running three or four days now without power. I imagine it starts out as an adventure but quickly becomes tedious when the grinding hum of the generator disturbs the silence and even reading by candlelight becomes too much of a challenge to be a distraction. One of my coworker recently joked that he would have "sucked as a settler". I can understand that sentiment completely. The power outages have brought about a few nice opportunities I'm sure, as families have resorted to playing board games by lantern light to pass the time. Recently I found myself cooking side by side with my brother while our kids played together in the next room. It was a nice, rare moment. Jaden has had a blast as our home has become a hub of activity. It seems there is always someone stopping in to shower or snag a hot meal and she has been delighted by the visits. One day the lights will all come back on, and we will all go back to our busy lives...until then, it is nice to take advantage of needing each other, of passing the down time in dim light and simple pleasures.