Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Friday, December 12, 2008
strange noises in the night
Last night we went to bed thinking it would rain a little. Around 2 am we heard a bang, and the power went out. We knew it was the whole neighborhood because we've heard that noise before. Strange thing though, it wasn't windy. Later in the night we kept hearing cracking and breaking noises from falling branches. Again strange, no wind. We all slept in later than usual. Around 7am we heard a very large crash, and all of us congregated. It turned out a good sized branch at the side of the house had fallen in the lawn.
So what caused all of this crackling and breaking? An unexpected freezing and icing rain. It took everyone by surprise. We woke up to an eerie frozen world in which trees were creaking and groaning. Our tall pine trees were bent, trying there hardest to stand up against all of that weight.
Jeff went to work, and gave us the scoop as he drove. He reported almost entire power outages and many fallen trees until he got within 10 minutes from his building. At that point he stopped seeing ice on the trees. Closer down to Boston, they just got rain.
Emily, Eric, and I bundled up and went out in search of warm tea, hot cocoa, and donuts. Only one place in town was up and running. Half of Chelmsford showed up. We decided to stay in line and enjoy the adventure. It was fun hearing everyone's tales of the crackly night, and their ventures out in the morning. When the Chelmsford Highway Dept. workers came in for some coffee, everyone parted for them to go ahead. They even got a little applause. I hope it helped them feel better for all of the yucky hard jobs they had to attend to today. On our way home we witnessed one of them harnessing himself up to tackle a tree that had landed on some power lines. I was really thankful for them ( the workers, not the power lines and fallen trees).
We went home warmed up a bit, and built a nice cozy fire. Most of the day was spent in front of said fire, talking, playing games, roasting marshmellows. It was nice to have a day without distractions. When the sun came out after lunch, it was glorious to watch the ice fall like rain out of the trees. We even cooked our dinner in the fireplace (well, only baked potatoes. But I think that counts for cooking). Now the power is back on. I'm relieved and grateful because it is going to be very cold tonight, and there are many people still in the dark for what might turn out to be days.
It was fun to live without amenities while it lasted though!
So what caused all of this crackling and breaking? An unexpected freezing and icing rain. It took everyone by surprise. We woke up to an eerie frozen world in which trees were creaking and groaning. Our tall pine trees were bent, trying there hardest to stand up against all of that weight.
Jeff went to work, and gave us the scoop as he drove. He reported almost entire power outages and many fallen trees until he got within 10 minutes from his building. At that point he stopped seeing ice on the trees. Closer down to Boston, they just got rain.
Emily, Eric, and I bundled up and went out in search of warm tea, hot cocoa, and donuts. Only one place in town was up and running. Half of Chelmsford showed up. We decided to stay in line and enjoy the adventure. It was fun hearing everyone's tales of the crackly night, and their ventures out in the morning. When the Chelmsford Highway Dept. workers came in for some coffee, everyone parted for them to go ahead. They even got a little applause. I hope it helped them feel better for all of the yucky hard jobs they had to attend to today. On our way home we witnessed one of them harnessing himself up to tackle a tree that had landed on some power lines. I was really thankful for them ( the workers, not the power lines and fallen trees).
We went home warmed up a bit, and built a nice cozy fire. Most of the day was spent in front of said fire, talking, playing games, roasting marshmellows. It was nice to have a day without distractions. When the sun came out after lunch, it was glorious to watch the ice fall like rain out of the trees. We even cooked our dinner in the fireplace (well, only baked potatoes. But I think that counts for cooking). Now the power is back on. I'm relieved and grateful because it is going to be very cold tonight, and there are many people still in the dark for what might turn out to be days.
It was fun to live without amenities while it lasted though!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Reality, meet Fiction
So today was a rather bizarre mix.
REALITY: At church this morning, Jeff and I toured the World Vision Tent which walks you through the experience of one child orphaned by AIDS. It was extremely moving, and I would highly recommend the experience for anyone. I walked through Steven's story which included his abduction and experience in the Lord's Resistance Army. A very heavy dose of all that a child should never have to experience. The goal of this tent is to gain sponsorship for children. A daunting and growing task.
FICTION: Then in the afternoon, Emily and I went to see Peter Pan on stage. We knew one of the girls in the play. It was outstanding. I almost forgot it was a high school performance! After the dose of reality this morning, I had a new appreciation for James Barries' insights into children's minds. His fantasy world is really a place for children to explore the scary big world and all that is in it. What a beautiful thing he created. It was fun to clap Tinker Bell back to life with Emily. Do you remember what it was like to be 8?
REALITY: At church this morning, Jeff and I toured the World Vision Tent which walks you through the experience of one child orphaned by AIDS. It was extremely moving, and I would highly recommend the experience for anyone. I walked through Steven's story which included his abduction and experience in the Lord's Resistance Army. A very heavy dose of all that a child should never have to experience. The goal of this tent is to gain sponsorship for children. A daunting and growing task.
FICTION: Then in the afternoon, Emily and I went to see Peter Pan on stage. We knew one of the girls in the play. It was outstanding. I almost forgot it was a high school performance! After the dose of reality this morning, I had a new appreciation for James Barries' insights into children's minds. His fantasy world is really a place for children to explore the scary big world and all that is in it. What a beautiful thing he created. It was fun to clap Tinker Bell back to life with Emily. Do you remember what it was like to be 8?
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Family Beach Day
Today, we decided to take the entire day off from everything. We spent the morning together as a family just relaxing. Then around 1:30 we felt relaxed enough to pile ourselves into the car and drive to the beach (only a 40 min. drive). We took along sandcastle supplies, munchies, and a change of clothes ( one change for each of us of course, that would be funny if we all tried to ride back home in the same change of clothes). The waves were nice and big. We kept ourselves in the shallows due to rip tide warnings. However, we enjoyed watching the surfers do their thing. We built a nice respectable castle and stayed long enough to watch it meet its doom in the waves. The water was nice and warm, the breeze was gentle, and company was exceptional. As we drove home, it was decided that we should do this at least once a month. Anyone want to join us next time?
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Zel called
Spending an afternoon with Eric while Jeff and Emily took in a Red Sox game at Fenway. Then to my surprise I get a call from Zel. He had just crossed into NM. He is doing well, and enjoying the drive (especially after driving through Gustav rains yesterday). It was nice to hear from him, and at such a meaningful moment. Wish I was driving along this stretch with him!
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