Thank you all...and storms

Thank you so much for everyone who has taken the time to comment on my give away for two of Sherry Serafini's Bead Embroidery books.  I have so enjoyed the comments and getting to know you.  I am sorry that I had to limit the give away but I have a very hard time getting the to post office.  Not that it is far away, but for some reason probably stemming from my childhood when I had to take packages to the post office for my Mother & those people were awful to me (not enough tape, not enough address, not enough brown paper...it was brutal back then to mail a package).  So I have this mental block when it comes to mailing things.  Honest, I have to write myself messages & have Chris push me to go to the PO.  Think I might need some therapy!?  Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know how happy I am to greet so many new followers.

We had a horrible storm last Friday that knocked out our power here in Ohio.  36% of all residents were without power, and we are under a state of Emergency.  Just here in Central Ohio, a quarter of a million people were without power.  There were runs on the stores open to get ice, and all the hotels in town that had power were booked up fast.  We had power right after the storm, but the next morning it went off when I was trying to sleep (yes, I am temporary back working third shift).  Power outages were spotty all over the metro Columbus area without any type of pattern.  Let me tell you that when you don't have any A/C and the temperatures outside are in the low/high 90s it is absolutely unbearable to deal with.  I think about growing up in the 60s when we first moved back to Ohio from California having to deal with the hot muggy temperatures and wonder how in the world did we survive as we didn't even have fans back then.  Could it be that we got use to the heat, the sweaty nights tossing and turning, the praying for rain even a light shower, or could it be that I was just a young girl and could tolerate the heat and humidity more?  I think a combination.

Fiona giving up her "throne" on the vent

Plus my dogs are just so spoiled with our A/C.  Arwen was a mess panting all the time and refusing to go to the basement where it was cooler.  Frodo could care less...I think he has antifreeze in his veins.  But I have to tell you this story about Fiona.  Fiona is 12 year old, blind, Diabetic and queen of the house. When she barks...you run!  Usually she spend the Summer and Winter parked on the vent.  She has the coolest tummy in the Summer, and warmest tushie in the Winter.  She resided on the vent, and we have to push her off to get any relief for ourselves.  To push the little amount of air into the rest of the room, we also have a fan.  Well, on Saturday when the power went out, we were watching Fiona and she jumps up and looks down at the vent.  I'm sure in her doggie fashion she was wondering where her comforting coolness went. She shook herself and walked over to the area where the maximum fan blowing is at.  She pushed Arwen out of the way & plopped down.  After a minute, she opens her eyes & looks up trying to find the breeze. She was actually miffed about this.  So in true Fiona fashion, she saunters over to the coolest place beside her bed and the couch and plops down moaning away.  We laughed at the old girl. She is a character for sure.

Oh yes..it was this hot at 10am Friday

Meanwhile the radio and newspaper announced the bad news that our ares should not anticipate power until July 7th!  OMG!  I actually thought that I really really really just wanted to go to work as the hospital is always cool as they were first priority with power on Friday night.  I guess we have to do what we have to do, right?  So yesterday we decided to head to my cousin's house for entertainment...oh yes...no power, no television or computers!  Argh.  And I must confess that I was beading with the blinds pulled up so the natural (but HOT) light could get in.  After an hour of beading and sweating, I even had to give that up.  As we were driving home ( and people when the power is out you are really suppose to stop at the light for a reason!  Idiots all over were not obeying that rule) we saw a traffic light on, then another, and another, and when we pulled into our street we saw where people had left their porch lights on before the power outage were ON. Pulled into the driveway and hear the hum of the A/C.  I was never so happy...as were the three Scotties greeting us at the door with a doggie happy face.  YEAH!

Things I learned...GET A GENERATOR just for the freezer, refrigerator, a fan and television (Chris' thing).  Also, you know those garden solar lights some people have lining the walks...they work great inside. We brought two in to light the house...perfect!  And people are wonderful here in Central Ohio helping out and donating their time to make our community run.  All the guys who came in from out of the area to help get our power back on...thank you thank you thank you!

Now back to beading, loving dogs, and enjoying the cool air while the temps outside still hit the 90s.  And yes, people still have no power.  One gal from the Dublin area came in saying they were still without...wow!  You'd think Dublin would have been first...oh well...I shouldn't shot, but I'm just happy we have power now.  Doing a dance around the vent...that is if Fiona will move.

And another thing I want to add...French milled coffee is delicious...just had to hunt all over when I couldn't find my camp coffee pot.  Thank goodness we had gas to heat the water to a slow boil...and I had ground coffee!  Delicious.