They're calling it Ice Storm 2007. All of Oklahoma is currently in a state of emergency, and over half a million people are without power. Still, I can't deny that this freakish phenomenon is truly breathtaking and beautiful. It is almost as though a sheet of chilled glass has formed around everything it can touch, growing, and evolving with the passing of each moment. There is not a bit of frost to be found; not a snowflake to fly. Just ice. Beautiful, dangerous, chilling, ice. Here is just a small glimpse at how it has touched our little parcel of land.
Striking isn't it? Still, with its frigid beauty comes the potential for danger, and power outages which can include loss of heat, ability to cook, and many forms of entertainment that require electricity.
One amazing Ice Storm 2007 survivor, Christina, has been 3 days without power, and it is estimated that the power will not be back on for well over a week. She stated that the best way to stay warm, even with a roaring fireplace, is to snuggle up to your loved ones, and wrap each other up in heavy old quilts. "Nothing is better than body heat," she said, and noted that her kids looked like a pack of sardines all snuggled together by the fire, laughing and chatting the night away.
She later commented that the loss of electricity has helped her family focus on more traditional forms of entertainment. One activity that they have been doing the past few days is sitting all around the table playing a board game by lantern light. The cold has drawn them in together, to spend real, quality time without the interruption of most modern distractions.
Real community action, and the caring acts between neighbors has been another amazing facet to this dire situation that many are finding themselves in right now. Christina shared with me that early this morning her neighbors (who had a generator) brought over hot coffee, home-baked muffins, and hot cocoa for the kids. She said that a breakfast had never tasted so sweet, and so fulfilling. Additionally, she told me that a tree fell from the weight of the heavy ice on its branches, right into the middle of the street earlier today, blocking traffic. The men from about 5 different houses in her neighborhood went out and chainsawed, pushed, pulled, towed, shoveled, and did whatever they could to get the branches and debris out of the road so that emergency vehicles could get through if needed.
There is no doubt that the winter winds and snows can bring about great beauty and great tragedy... my hope is that this chilly season it will also bring about a sense of community, friendship, and love for the home, as Christina has found through her difficult situation. She is one example of an amazing woman who reclaimed her home from the storm, and turned it into a central hub for her family to grow closer, grow warmer, and grow more neighborly.
Stay warm, my friends...
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