‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all through the house, not a sound was stirring, not even a mouse. There were the normal house crackles, and strange bumps through the night, but the electricity was off, and that was not right.
The power went off at 5:35 p.m., I checked the breaker boxes, and all was correctly arranged. I called the company, and waited, and waited, and waited, and nothing changed. I called once again, in hopes for a different result, but nothing happened, and I was beginning to sulk. I made a third call, and pressed and insisted, “At least tell me someone is working on the problem.”
I was assured there was a confirmed power outage in my area, someone was working on it, but they had no estimate of when it would be fixed. My turkey was raw, my pumpkin pie not baked, how can I make them with no power. Thanksgiving dinner was at stake.
By then, I was also getting a might chilled, so I decided it was best to leave them do their work, and I should try to get some sleep. I donned sweats, and put an extra blanket on the bed, and proceeded to try to get some shut eye. I was amazed that I could sleep, but awoke at 2 a.m. with a sweating body and a cold head.
No electricity yet, now I was really getting concerned about getting dinner cooked. As I sat in the living room, bundled up to stay warm, I was amazed at the number of vehicles that were driving past so late at night. I can’t imagine people staying up so late at night, whether for jobs, or parties. I guess I am getting old.
I dozed off now and then in the recliner, and was jolted awake by the sound of everything kicking in. Lights blazed, the refrigerator started, some things beeped, and I smiled. It was 3:20 a.m., and the power was back on. If I hadn’t been so tired, I probably would have danced a jig. I felt like crawling in bed again, but knew the turkey had to be started in an hour and a half, so it hardly paid.
The day was a good one, family, fun and sharing, as well as good food made for a special day.
It is amazing how much I am dependent on electricity. In this instant society, I am used to pushing a button, flicking a switch, and getting my wishes granted instantly. It isn’t until it is gone that it is truly missed.
My traditional day after Thanksgiving is spent trying to put Christmas decorations outside. I got some help this year, by way of two granddaughters. It didn’t take us long to figure out that it was cold outside. All we got done that day was putting the Nativity under the birch tree. By then we were freezing, and the light strings were frozen and impossible to get out of their package, much less unwrap and put around my small evergreen trees. So, we settled for decorating the front porch railing.
On a warmer day, I went out and put lights on the three small evergreen trees, but only one lights up. I haven’t had a chance to check it over to see what is wrong as yet. It wasn’t as easy as I imagined, the trees are too far apart, the lights only had a plug on one end — the excuses go on.
More might get put up eventually, or not. At least there is some cheer out there, heralding the Advent season. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
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