Lights Off--and On

My family is pleased to announce that the snow has ended and our power and internet are back on.  Having heat again is also definitely a joy, as is having a working stove.  The inability to make tea seemed to be the greatest disadvantage we faced.

Nevertheless, my family rather enjoyed our time roughing it. I love how quiet the house is when there is no hum from the laptop, the refrigerator, or the heating system.  We lit candles and sat around them, bundled in blankets and long underwear, with a kind of peace that seems absent when there are other distractions.  We cooked our dinner--hotdogs--on skewers over a roaring fire.  There are times when nothing is more delicious than what we create with only our make-do spirit.

During previous storms and power-out evenings, my family members have passed a book around and read by flickering candlelight.  This time, I pulled out my new e-reader and read aloud using the built-in light in its case.  Although I considered starting with the first lines from David Copperfield ("I was born," intoned with a southern accent in honor of Melanie from the movie version of Gone with the Wind), instead we passed around P.G. Wodehouse and laughed through the adventures of Bertie Wooster and his man Jeeves.

Our electricity is back on now.  We are warm again and drinking coffee while my partner David makes homemade clementine scones.   Power outages remind us of how important our time together is--and make us consider when technology serves us and when it does not.

What do you do during storms and power outages?  When does technology start feeling intrusive?  Do you ever take breaks where you choose to unplug?