Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Our responsibility

But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his way and he doesn't turn from it, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. Ezekiel 33:9

God says just a few verses later: I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of our evil ways !

Its our job to warn. To speak up. Reprove the Ruthless.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Day 2 without power...the last thirty minutes in a twenty hour adventure

It is five o'clock in the morning of Day 2 without power, (I wrote by flashlight). I promised my son I'd wake him up in thirty minutes because he has a PT test this morning and he set his cell phone alarm 30 minutes early so he could read his Bible. But, by candle light, it is too dark to read.

By candlelight we played Scrabble last night. Bob calls Scrabble foreplay. He beat me by ten points. I had a word EXCITING but no where to play it, so I played the "X" on a triple joining an "O" and an "E" already on the board for 54 points. Then I had the word, SINNING, but Bob went out before I could play. After the game is over, we find places to fit the leftover tiles. Just for fun. Just for some completeness. It doesn't gain me any points or change who won nor the score. But, I found a space for SINNING. The sound of chain saws all night. Seems like crews would be more effective during the day, but a truck was dispatched what with all the calls. The whole neighborhood was dark as the tree trimmers cleared all the lines.

The frig is leaking. Twenty hours without being opened, but without power, and the ice is melting.

And then, at 5:30am: THE POWER IS BACK ON !! yeah ! LIGHTS ! CAMERA ! ACTION !

Now the coffeemaker will work. Bob blew out the candle he was shaving by and I hard boiled a dozen eggs.

It was clear earlier as I checked on trucks down the street. I saw stars. But, it started getting foggy. I like fog. Fog is cool. Quiet. Fog eats noise.

Laundry humming, second load of dishes also loaded. Sixty degrees outside. Feels great.

My son reminded me he is twenty-one years old. Again. He is tired of being mothered. He saw my page of cursive and asked, what is that? When I was in seventh grade our teacher encouraged us to practice our handwriting. Didn't his teachers?

A Day Without Power

October 15, 2007 (I wrote in longhand)
No vacuuming

No dishwasher

No computer

No radio

No lights

No cordless phone

I'm thankful its cooler. No need for AC. I'm thankful for birds twittering. And I'm thankful for screens. We sure needed the rain.

A cardinal with sharp peeps.

A titmouse (horrid name).

A chickadee. Traffic and engines with that doplar effect. This would be a fine day for painting on canvas or walls. Today marks an ending of summer at last. No AC humming away here. Autumn approaching Texas from north and from west with delicious coolness. A chill.

A time for re-arranging.

A time to reconsider.

A time to trim up those bangs.

Stamps wait in the basket. Bills that need writing. But, there will be no checkbook reonciling until the power is back on.

Scented candle time !

The tree trunks turn from grey to black after being saturated with a heavy rain. How come I never noticed it before?

The streets dry first. Why are they in such a hurry? The trees continue dripping.

A time to practice cursive. A time to listen. A basketball bouncing next door will probably bounce until it is too dark to see.

When the power comes back on it will be bright as day. The frig will hum and the switches work and the screen on the computer will fuss that I didn't shut it down properly. Fans will whirl and it will be revealed what all got left on.