Turn me on

Posted on by Miriam

You turn me on
I come to life 
and give you all you need.
Turn me off
the spark is gone
nothing left to recede.

The last few days we’ve been hit with power outages.  Strong winds have brought down trees and knocked out cables in many areas close to where I live.

Having no power meant it was a challenge to cook, as everything I had planned required electricity. But with a bit of ingenuity and flexibility – and no, I didn’t call for pizza – I was able to whip up a decent meal. By candlelight of course.

Earlier in the day I relished the sunshine outside. I took Lamborghini out to the back paddock and let her graze on long grass near our oak tree, a tree that was just a tiny plant in a pot when we moved in here years ago. Simple pleasures.

When the power was restored my son whooped in delight as he realised he wouldn’t miss out on watching his episode of Mr Robot. As for me, yes I was  grateful but I have to admit, those few hours of absolute quiet were blissful. Not a hum of electricity or distraction was in the house, it was pure calm, peace and tranquility.

img_0451

But then it happened again. While I was in the shower. Not so blissful this time.

Early this morning, with shampoo lathered in my hair, I was plunged into darkness. The water went cold and for what seemed a few heart stopping minutes all was frozen, literally, in my world.

It made me realise how often we take our simple needs for granted. A flick of a switch turns literally everything on.  And strange as it may sound, it made me hanker for another camping trip.

Somehow, in nature, we need less. We make do with what we have.  Granted in our camper now we have a comfortable bed and a small cooking area that allows us to hibernate if the weather turns feral. However, mostly we’re outside.

We cook over the coals, we sit around a campfire, disconnect from our phones and we connect with each other.  We enjoy simple pleasures under starry skies and we wake to the sound of chattering birds. Watching the sun rise to a new day and saying goodbye to golden sunset skies shifts the focus to the bigger picture.

me-sitting-in-sunset-at-forster-800x600

Yes, nature is inspiring but it can also be unforgiving.

Our strong winds and minor inconveniences are nothing compared to the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Matthew barrelling down in the State of Florida. My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to all my blogger friends and residents living there.

Stay safe everyone and be grateful for what you have for you never know when it will be taken away, even momentarily. And never forget to keep a torch in the bathroom!

20160718_071933.jpg

Wishing you all safe days, peace, light and love.

74 thoughts on “Turn me on”

  1. What a sense of serenity this post brings me, Miriam. Well, except for that cold shower part. 😉 I do love the sound of silence when there is no power. It’s like when there’s a snow storm, and the blanket of snow falling on the ground mutes all of the cacophony of the city.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. It really is beautiful, Miriam. I used to live in Boston, but now I’m in a rural area. To see the trees glisten at night, flocked with snow is truly beautiful. But, a day or two afterwards, when the dogs pee in it and it turns dark from car exhaust, not so much. 😀

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  3. Oh yes – those starry nights around the campfire can’t be beaten and you’re absolutely right, it makes us realise how much less we really need.. Although I wouldn’t want to go back to the basics of our childhood camping holidays where we would be alone somewhere in a field and my dad would dig a hole in the ground for our ‘toilet’..ughhh! Yep when the lights go off and the water is cold we realise what a luxury our hot shower really is! xx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oh, absolutely! It was the longest minute ever! And as for camping, well I can forgo most things including my shower but I still kinda like the idea of having the basics … oh and some red wine of course!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. That campfire definitely wouldn’t be the same without a glass of red wine in hand! Yep – I’m with you – I have certain ‘must haves’ when I’m checking out where we will pitch our tent! x

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  4. I adore the positivity you bring to everything, which is why reading your posts always inspires me! I’m sure the cold freezing shower was not a lot of fun. We are not too close to Florida yet on a thunderstorm watch with power loss predictions. I will remember your post and make the most of the situation if it does happen!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  9. This post even read calm….so you’re calmness is coming through beautifully. Love that pic of Lamborghini. ❤

    The majority of my family lives in FL…some had to evacuate but most were able to stay put. All are safe thankfully.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. We also had a huge blackout the other night Miriam, it was out from 4.30pm to 9.30pm. It was a lovely quiet time and as you say, very peaceful and relaxed. We should never take what we have for granted!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. We’ve had odd blackouts and yes, they can be blissful – as long as relatively short and you’re not in the shower! Poor you! Time does seem to slow down and become simplier and it is worrying how dependent we have become on having constant power. Lovely post, Miriam and I join you in wishing every one safe during the hurricanes path. Having only just returned from the east coast of Florida I feel an increased connection with the area and some of the lovely people I met.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  12. Funny because from where i am…we have not been strucked by any natural disaster but we experienced whole day black out today…and news came out that tomorrow will be again a “no power” day..this is unbelievable..

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Well the power company said its a maintenance/repair day..but believe me.this happens all the time…add to the fact that they charge us will an outrageously expensive electric bill. Our bill alone is almosy the same amout as the monthly salary of an average employee here in our place.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  13. I had always thought of myself as fairly self-sufficient, until we lost power for five days in the middle of a sweltering summer. And then I found out just how dependent on electricity I really am! At first, the slower pace of life was nice, but as the house heated up and I struggled to save our food rotting the the fridge (ice-packed coolers only last so long), I found myself getting very short tempered. Still, I think it is good for it to go out now and then to remind us of just how different life can be without the power. Great post, Miriam!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Five days? In the middle of a heatwave? Now, most of us would find it difficult to cope with that. I can’t imagine there would be too much joy in rotting food and trying to stay cool. I’m feeling for all those people who are struggling right now. Hope you’re having a good weekend Ann.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. It’s so true that you can do without so much when you go camping. It makes us think why we want so much when we are not camping. We can be content if we don’t think of what we want but just what we need. I am thankful of having what we need. Thank you for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Profound and so very true. We get used to having so much stuff around us and we clutter up our lives, I think sometimes unnecessarily. Gratitude for what we have definitely helps.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  17. You’re a true camper Miriam. When the power goes out here we get excited by cooking up some water on the trangia and we dream of a non-routine lifestyle. We groan when the power comes on again. Not much fun when you’re in the middle of hot shower though.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  18. Trying to do anything in the bathroom when the power is out is the worst, and showering is the absolute worst! There’s always so much ambient light when the power is on that I don’t notice it, but when it goes out, the bathroom seems to be the darkest place!

    I had almost forgotten about Lamborghini (how could I have?!). Thank you for the cheerful reminder. It put a smile on my face.

    After reading your post, I am going to (try to) be attentive to all of the simple things that I take for granted (like the electric washing machine with the indoor plumbing that is running at this very moment. I don’t *have* to do the laundry, I *GET* to do the laundry! What a blessing!) Wishing you a beautiful week, my friend.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I will be out of blogging for 2 or 3 weeks, Miriam. So, don’t worry if you don’t see me here. I have something to do in a place where the internet is out. So, be well my friend. See you in November 🙂
        ❤

        Like

        Reply

  23. Here is a suggestion for you. Go to your local hardware store and see if they have a combo night lite/emergency light that plugs into a wall socket. As soon as the power goes off it comes on and will stay on for several hours. Bingo, no more trailing suds around in your escape from darkness. We have several in the house. Solar lights can be brought in; stay on for hours, safe and cost nothing to run. Cheers.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Ha, great idea Dan. We actually used to have one of those but I think it died! It’s still hanging on the wall but it doesn’t seem to work anymore. Might have to investigate and either fix or buy a new one. Thanks!

      Like

      Reply
  25. Pingback: My Picks Of The Week #42 | A Momma's View

Leave a reply to The Mandy Diaries Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.