prairie life

We have made our preparations for the storm, and it is looking to be a real doozy. The firewood is stacked, buckets of water ready, drinking water in the house, kindling in a bucket, propane, and camp stove ready, and food in the pantry.

I know our preparations sound excessive, but we have been iced in at times for over a week. Without electricity and water. They had to bring massive portable generators in to run the pumps on the tower a few years ago, which shut everything down.

Our water is still not safe for personal use, or drinking, they don't know what kind of bacteria may be lurking in it, and until the EPA, gives the green light, we have to collect bottled water at City Hall every few days, for our use. I am very grateful to the Chicaksaw, Seminole, and Pottawatomie Nations for providing our drinking water. You see, while I am technically a citizen of the U.S. of A. , I live in the heart of the Seminole Nation, and the Nations, take care of the Nations...

Ashley is seriously ill, she is down with bronchiitis, and with her, it can turn to pneumonia at any time, this is really not a good time to be iced in. Alexandra, and Christian are also ill, and irritable. They take turns coughing, crying and keeping me up most of the night. it is so hard on little ones to be ill. They really don't know what to do, but cling and cry...

I am watching for the school bus. I expect them to turn school out any time now, and there will be no school tomorrow. I-40, is already a skating rink in places, and I am praying Ben will be able to get home from work, and Andrew into work safely. I am hoping my family will all be safely around me soon.

About that time of course, the noise level with hit nerve shattering pitch, and i will have to be sent to my room for a time out...i may have to call Ben and tell him to bring Dr. Pepper and chocolate while he is in town...i don't know what i was thinking not getting a supply of the true necessities of an ice storm...

They are expecting 2 inches of ice and about 4 inches of snow in our area, it is supposed to last through Monday, I really hope they are wrong, but Ok forecasters usually aren't...

I was sitting in bed this morning with my 2 sleeping sickies, trying to keep my eyes open drinking a cup of coffee, when Little House on the Praire came on, and i just turned them off...life wasn't really simple and sweet then, it was just plain hard. you didn't have time to do outside things, because all your time was consumed with trying to survive...

Light,heat, water, laundry , food all would take every moment of every day, i can imagine on a small scale,how difficult this must have been. I wonder if you didn't know any difference, if that made it easier...

Light switches that don't turn anything, taps with air, and no water, washing machines that don't do anything, toliets that don't refill...these are the realites of modern life, when the things we take for granted like electricity and water aren't available....

I am praying the lines don't ice, the power stays on, and even our limited water supply continues to flow...and i remember, my strength is in the Lord, and these things are temorary and temporal, and will hopefully someday soon be just a memory