Still no power and no stamping here!  I’ve been hopping between my house and Kate’s all week for meals, sleep and laundry.  I leave this afternoon for Chicago, so if you happen to be attending the Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Expo at the DuPage Expo Center, please stop by the Rubbernecker Booth and say Hi!  I’ll be there working along side Shelly a/k/a Papermoon and Meg a/k/a Waxyo!

Hopefully by the time I get home from Chicago I’ll have power, a stocked fridge and plenty of light to stamp by.    I was sitting in the semi-dark yesterday afternoon wondering what it would be like if we didn’t have all the little gadgets and luxuries that we have today.  What if we were back in the 1800 or 1900’s and lived in small towns or on farms that didn’t have indoor plumbing and lights.  There wouldn’t be computers, or cell phones, or email.  People would be outside enjoying nature, visiting with neighbors and lending that helping hand to someone in need!  This week has not been that bad.  I’ve visited with my neighbors more, have helped those that needed it and have relaxed more than I have in months.

Yes, I’ve been a bit inconvenienced and haven’t been able to meet my commitments.  I’ve stressed about it, made what phone calls I deemed appropriate, and then worried a little more.  But in reality, I haven’t had it nearly as bad as some of my neighbors.  To be quite honest, I’ve enjoyed the slower pace and camaraderie that this storm has brought to our neighborhood.  When the power comes back on, my neighbors, and I included, will once again turn to the computers, Internet, cable television, etc., to entertain us.  It’s actually very sad that it takes a storm of this magnitude in order to visit with your neighbors.

There are also people like my daughter, Kate, and her boyfriend.  They have opened their home to any family member or friend that needs to take a hot shower, a place to sleep for the night, or even a home-cooked meal.  Will spent a day with me cleaning up the yard and removing debris.  Without his help, I would have only gotten about a third of the clean up done on Monday.

I suppose my inner reflection is over and I’ve babbled on enough.  I hope you have a great day!