We cry because it's real

I know I'm not the only one who was sobbing during Downton Abbey this week.  And I know I'm not the only one who has tried to comfort herself by saying "It's just fiction.  It's just a story.  It's not true."  And I'm not the only one who has found very little comfort in that fact.

As I think about it today, I realize that good fiction has the power to touch us deeply when the stories are real.  They don't have to be true.  The characters don't have to be living human beings.  The settings don't have to be actual places on the map.  It's the stories that touch us, because they echo our stories.  They delve into themes that we find in our own lives.  They pierce our hearts in places where our hearts already bear scars.

Lee and Blake on our front porch, April 2007 (4th grade)

Last night's episode of Downton Abbey was almost too poignant for me to bear, for one year ago today I watched a similar story play out in real life.  One year ago today the son of one of my dearest friends and one of my youngest son's dearest friends, our next-door neighbor, was killed in a tragic accident.  Like Sybil, Blake was the youngest of three children.  Like Sybil, Blake was full of goodness and greatness.  Like Sybil, Blake brought out the best in other people.  Like Sybil, Blake was young and innocent and so dearly loved.

The story of Sybil's death bowled me over as it echoed Blake's story.

I'll tell you: the only thing that makes all this bearable is the knowledge that Blake's story is not over.  It's just begun.  Blake is not living here on earth with us any longer, but Blake lives.  Blake will live forever.  We will be with him again.

And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, 

and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3).

If you'd like to know Blake's story, you can watch this video.  You'll be glad you did.

Did Sybil's story echo a story in your life? Please share it!  We are stronger for sharing our stories with one another.

How to prepare for a winter storm

We're under a winter weather advisory here in North Carolina, with forecasts for a "wintry mix" of precipitation.  It's been very cold here the last few days, so if the predicted precipitation arrives, things could get messy.

Having lived through many, many snow storms and ice storms, I thought I'd share some tips for weathering a storm as comfortably as possible.

If you're expecting a snow storm, your main concern is simply to make sure you're stocked up on things so that you can be comfortable staying at home. Stop by the library and the Redbox for books and movies.  Along with milk and bread, make sure you have plenty of food in the pantry and refrigerator. You'll also want to be sure that you have a good supply of other necessities in case you're snowed in, such as:

• toilet paper and Kleenex
• personal health and hygiene products
• household supplies
• OTC and prescription drugs
• first aid supplies
• pet food and supplies
• salt for the front steps

Trust me, a snowstorm is not the time to discover that you're out of deodorant or saline solution or dog food. And be sure to have marshmallows for making hot chocolate and the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies--you may be stuck at home a while, and you want to be comfortable.

You folks from the North are now snorting and guffawing, finding it difficult to imagine anyone being concerned about an impending snow storm. But you see, here in the South, our cities and towns are not equipped to deal with snow. We just don't have the heavy equipment that y'all have up North. Y'all are used to having the streets plowed and salted right after the snow. Our towns are lucky if they own one plow. So if there's a big snow, some of us will be stuck at home until the weather heats up enough for the snow to melt.

Still, the prospect of a snow storm brings mostly warm, fuzzy thoughts of making snow angels and snowmen and snow ice cream. . . rosy cheeks and red noses and purple-tipped fingers and giggling and sleeping well at night after playing hard during the day.

An ice storm is a different matter. If ice is what you're expecting, then you should also be expecting a power outage. A few years ago we had a big ice storm and were without electric power for six days and six very cold nights. If a power outage is a reasonable expectation, here are some things you can do to prepare.

Consider your food situation. 

• If you have a gas cooktop, you're golden. Be sure to have matches and/or an Aim'n'Flame so that you can light the burners manually. 
• Make sure you have food that can be prepared on the stovetop, not in the oven, such as cans of soup, eggs, cheese and bread or tortillas, and meats that can be pan-fried or stir-fried.
• Keep a manual can opener on hand. 
• If your stove is electric, consider other options for cooking. If you have a camp stove, pull it out. If you have a grill, be sure to have charcoal or propane on hand. 
• Be sure to have filling food that doesn't require any cooking. Cold people are often hungry people, so stock up on things like nuts, peanut butter, tuna, dried beef, etc.

Consider your heating situation. 

• If you have a wood-burning stove or fireplace, be sure you have plenty of wood. Bring wood into a sheltered area now--before it gets wet. 
• If you have a gas-burning fireplace, make sure you know how to light it manually. 
• If you have a kerosene heater, be sure that you have plenty of kerosene on hand. 
• Be sure that you have plenty of blankets readily accessible. You don't want to be hunting around in your attic when it's 10 degrees outside and the power is off. 
• Run your heater now while you have power.  Get your house nice and toasty while you can.  If there are drafty spots in your house, block them off as much as possible.  
• Plan what parts of your house you can block off if you do lose power.  For instance, you may want to have everyone sleep in the one or two warmest rooms in the house.  If you have an air mattress, you may want to go ahead and inflate it in case you need to use it.

Consider your lighting situation. 

• Be sure to have candles, oil-burning lamps, and flashlights on hand and easily accessible. 
• Make sure you have plenty of matches for lighting candles and lamps.
• Stock up on extra batteries.
• If you have a camping lantern, bring it inside now.

Consider your water situation. 

If your water supply depends on electricity, be sure you have plenty of water on hand.

• Fill jugs and bottles with potable water. 
• Fill your bathtub with water. Toilets will operate as long as there's water with which to fill the tanks. If need be, you can always keep your toilet running smoothly by refilling the tank with water from the bathtub.

Consider all other electrical needs. 

If you're dependent on electricity for something, do it now while you've got power.

• Do the laundry. Run the dishwasher. Put some brownies in the oven, a roast in the Crock Pot, and bread makings in the bread machine. 
• Fully charge cell phones, laptop computers, electronic games, camera batteries, etc. 
• Wash and blow-dry your hair. 
• Grind your coffee beans. 
• Without power, you won't have internet access, so be prepared.  Print out anything that you might need that you usually look up online, such as phone numbers (including the number of your power company, so that you can call to report your power failure) and recipes. You might also want to print out some things to keep children occupied: word searches, crossword puzzles, Sodoku puzzles, mazes, pictures to color, etc.  
• If you have a non-electric version of something, make sure it's readily accessible (corded phone for your land line, French press for your coffee, etc.).  

Consider your attitude.

If you're prepared, being stuck at home can actually be kind of fun, but a bad attitude can kill the joy. We're accustomed to our conveniences and electronic distractions, so a good attitude about going without them is important. This would be a great time to read aloud the Little House books or biographies of people like Abraham Lincoln or the soldiers at Valley Forge.  It's an opportunity to pull out those board games that have been collecting dust. Just be sure you have a print dictionary to use for that killer game of Scrabble!

One last thing: just imagine what a winter storm means for those who are less fortunate than you. Now would be a great time to make a donation to a homeless shelter in your area. Even the smallest donation can make a big difference to a ministry where tight budgets are stretched even tighter by great need.  

What's your best tip for preparing for a power outage?  Please share!

**I'm joining Amanda at Serenity Now for her Weekend Bloggy Reading party.**

A time of being unplugged

Life can be complicated, can't it?

Work to do.  Children to parent.  Homes to run.  Projects to finish.  It's easy to feel as if every hour of every day is filled to overflowing, with absolutely no time for some really important things.

Like tending to relationships.  Building partnerships.  Celebrating love.

But this past weekend, I put aside everything else and flew off spend the weekend with my sweetheart. You see, Jack's been working in Canada quite a bit lately.  Last week he was working in Toronto; this week he's working in Vancouver.  So instead of his flying to North Carolina for a few hours at home, I flew to Toronto to be with him.

Canada?  In January?  Don't I know that January calls for visits to places like the Caribbean?  Well, yes, I know that.  But Jack wasn't in the Caribbean.  He was in Canada.  And the locale is not nearly so important as the company.

So we walked and talked and laughed and shopped and visited museums and ate wonderful food.  We did touristy things like going to the top of the CN Tower, where Jack snapped this photo of me:

Look at those rosy cheeks!  That's what happens when you walk around Toronto in January!

We even tried taking an iPhone photo of ourselves:

Clearly, we need to get our children to teach us how to do this.

There's one thing I didn't do this weekend, though.  I didn't do anything related to my blog.  To be honest, I didn't really plan that.  In fact, I took my computer with me, but I left in my carry-on bag the entire time I was in Toronto.  It's not that I needed a break from blogging.  It's just that I needed concentrated time with my husband--the kind of time we simply can't have if I'm glued to my computer.

Don't get me wrong.  I love my computer.  I love all the things I can do with it.  But this weekend, it was good for my computer to be nothing more than a weight in my suitcase.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1). 

How about you?  Do you ever unplug from one activity in order to plug into another?  I'd love to hear about it!

**I'm sharing this with Amanda at Serenity Now for her Weekend Bloggy Reading party.**