If anyone wonders where I've been....we were without power from about 8:30 a.m. Friday until 3 a.m. yesterday!    The ice storm that went through Friday has caused some major outages!   Some friends who  live about 1 1/2 hours away are being told it could be Christmas Eve before they have power!   And, like us, they make a lot of their gifts!      Today we've had lots of "bleeps"--where the electricity goes off and on (and off and on a few more times!  Complete with all the beeps of microwave, carbon monoxide detector and cordless phones!) or off for about 10 minutes (about the time Dallas gets ready to go turn on the generator!)

We had generator power Friday and into Saturday, but that doesn't work well with electronics!  And 6 of our 7 machines are electronic!    So--no sew!        We did LOTS of cutting out, though!

And right now, I'm carrying my little flashlight in my pocket!!!

Outside is musical----tinkling ice falling from the trees!   There are several big branches down, and one of the clothesline poles is flat.  

And it is COLD!  When Isaiah came downstairs after his nap, he said, "Nigh-night!   Cold!   Brrrr!"    (With the motions to go with it!  Too cute!)

Here are some pictures of life outside!

If you look behind the swingset, you can see the branch that is down (and where the clothesline pole used to be!!!)

You can see even more pictures at my daughters' blog Seven Sisters.

We are staying inside, drinking hot chocolate and staying WARM!    And...well, getting lots of stuff cut out!  Throughout the house are girls busy sewing, and when the electric goes out, they get all ready to sew as fast as they can when the electric comes back on!    (And when it goes off, you can hear groans and yells of aggravation throughout the house!   )

I think we may start a new tradition---celebrating Epiphany for all the gifts we don't get done in time for Christmas!!!  

Hope you are warm and safe on this cold, icy night!  

Blessings!