The rain was wild. The wind was scary. Our huge tree did NOT fall on our house, thankfully. I’m not usually scared during a wind storm, I typically love them, but with an enormous tree looming and bending above my house, well, things change.

and considering how bad the storm ended up being, and the number of trees that went down everywhere around us, we really should have slept downstairs.

But we were fortunate, protected, and were able to make the best of the next two days when there was no power. I got to break out some of my new toys that hadn’t seen action yet

Friday morning, I brought out the dutch ovens that I’d used on the one camping trip I bought them for, and the cooking table I bought this spring. We had eggs and sausage from the fridge so it wouldn’t spoil, and then I washed the pots and kept hot water going all day so we could stay warm with hot cider and chocolate. The picture shows dinner Friday night, rosemary chicken and stuffing. We made a lot and shared with the neighbors.

Saturday was supposed to be a neighborhood cookie exchange that had been on the calendar for three weeks. Instead, (since no one could bake cookies), everyone went two houses down to our neighbor’s house with a generator. We all had lunch and visited in warmth for a couple of hours with open invitations extended to come over and warm up anytime.

You always assume neighbors will take care of each other in an emergency, but it’s nice to know that they will. I love our street.

Our power came back on last night, but most everyone around us is still in the dark. Gas stations and grocery stores have been closed for days, and according to the radio, there’s a big dichotomy out there. There’s the people offering to help anyone that needs it by giving away supplies and sharing info about places that are open and stocked, and there’s the impatient, selfish jerks on the road and in stores that make you realize just how fragile civilization is.

Aside from a complete lack of firewood (we had enough for most of Saturday, but that was it. Fortunately, a man from our church came by to see that we were ok, and he had a list of people with wood. Gabe delivered a big stack yesterday afternoon) we were adequately prepared and comfortable. Lots of handknit woolens to wear :-), hot food to eat and drink, and I had bought the girls down filled vests and coats a couple month ago. We had warm sleeping bags for the girls, and Nate opened his Christmas present early (a down comforter and cover) so we were toasty Friday night, too.

When I posted on Thursday, I had no idea there was a storm coming. It was a nice day, mellow, and I got some knitting done.

The first argyle stocking is done. It’s amazing. Not the stocking, but the fact that it’s FINALLY DONE!!!!!! And the stocking is pretty cool, too.

On the heels of that, I started the second one.

I’m about 10 rows from weaving in ends, seaming the leg, and knitting the heel. Then I’ll start flat knitting the gusset and foot. Wanna see the back?

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHGHGGGHHH INTARSIA!!!!

Then, on Friday morning after the storm, loss of power, and realizing that it might be a long time before getting power back, I started on one of the pairs of legwarmers I’ve been wanting.

That is most of one done. The power is back on and I didn’t even finish one, but, oh well. You’d think that being out of power with nowhere to go for two days would result in more knitting (all the stocking knitting was done before the storm) than most of one legwarmer, but cooking with dutch ovens takes FOREVER!!!! and that’s pretty much all I did.

Church is cancelled today as the church building has no power, and I can use our stove today, so maybe I’ll be able to knit. Of course, I’m also coughing my brains out, so I might just try to sleep.