We lost our electricity over the weekend for several hours. First clue the next day? Our clocks were blinking. An inconvenience, but not the end of the world. However, when we went to watch TV, our TIVO (how we record shows) no longer worked. Not a problem, according to my husband, as he’d purchased another one and it was sitting in the basement still in its box. However, that new device doesn’t function either. And all my previously recorded programs on our old TIVO are lost forever in that antiquated device: shows about the Amish, items I’d hoped to watch again, and an opera at the Met, that I think my husband was thrilled to escape. On the brightside, at least I’ll have more time to watch some of the new shows that I’ve seen are coming to Acorn. You can read about them on the Likewise website if you’re interested in seeing what’s on my watch list! If you’re looking for romantic comedy series you can watch online, you may use these dramas reviews as a guide.
Also not functioning when it should: our sprinkler system set on a timer. And I noticed my Christmas tree lights (white) draped on our back fence don’t work anymore. Small annoyances that remind me how much I rely on electricity. All is not lost; for instance my computer is fired and ready for action and I was able to boil hot water for my morning coffee in a jiffy. And when our once-a-month cleaning lady arrives today, the vacuum should function as well as ever. I hope!
What would you miss if you woke up and found your electricity was out for the day, the way the Amish do? Not that they don’t have clever and innovative ways of lighting their homes and cooking with gas and propane. In my Amish magazines, I see ads for fancy refrigerators and even freezers, although not allowed in every District, depending on the local Ordnung(unwritten instructions church members must obey decided by the bishop and ministers).
Back to my question: what would you miss the most if your electricity were out for the entire day? Leave a comment below to enter my giveaway: A chance to win this darling Pot Holder made in Lancaster County and a copy of either Pennsylvania Patchwork or Leaving Lancaster (your choice of books).
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| Last day to enter is Saturday, August 10, Midnight. USA only. The winner has one week to respond. |
CONGRATULATIONS to MsRubyKat (Karen) who was randomly picked as last week’s winner of the tea towel and a copy of Pennsylvania Patchwork and Leaving Lancaster.
Depending on the season, I would either miss my air-conditioning or my heat. rlepree@musfiber.com
Sounds reasonable, Rachel!
I would miss the internet the most. I’ve had to go a week with no power a few years ago and I learned to cook using our grill. It was so nice. We took walks and played board games and had family time.
ssc925@yahoo.com
Your family time for a week sounds marvelous, Sandi!
Due to an ice storm a few winters ago we went 10 days without power so we got a good taste of what life is like without electric. I missed being able to blow dry my hair. You make do. I read by candlelight. We found an old corded phone to use. We went to the laundry mat and had to grill out each meal. Thinking back I’m amazed we didn’t freeze to death as we have no fireplace. 🙂
Good for you, Trisha, for enduring 10 days! I keep a corded phone plugged in for such occasions. And then now so many people have cell phones.
I would miss water. We have a well and without electricity it doesn’t work. We’ve gone several times without electricity…once for five days. While we survived the outage, the one thing I’ll never take granted again is the ability to turn on a faucet or push a handle down to flush a commode. Carrying water from the neighbor’s house (then boiling it…for cooking or cleaning) was a huge ordeal!
That does sound like an ordeal, Kris! We have a well at our beach cabin; same problem there, but that water certainly tastes better than city water.
I would miss a hot shower the most! I would grab a good Amish book(which is all I read) or my NOOK ( which i have a bttery operated light nd a backup of batteriesand a fully charged Halo to recharge my Nook with) and wait until electricity has been restored. would love to win!!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,cindyba_1994@verizon.net
You sound like you’re in good shape, except for the hot shower!
I think what I would miss most would be hot water. I really believe I could live without most other material things, but hot water is a must for getting clean!
No fun when the hot water goes out! Please be sure to leave me an email address to be entered in the contest so I can reach you if you win. I promise, no one will not receive 1 million emails from me!
I would miss being able to charge my Kindle – I use it to check email, Goodreads, Facebook, etc. I would also miss being able to watch the local news in the morning & reading my Bible by the lamp before the sun rises.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Beth
bharbin07[at]gmail[dot]com
Sounds like your Kindle serves you well, Beth!
Everything really!
I enjoy the convience of flipping the bathroom light on first thing, then turning on my radio, then going to the computer and checking the weather first thing of the morning!
teresaann68@frontiernet.net
Thanks, in that case, I hope you never lose your electricity!
Thank you for a lovely chance to win one of your books and potholder! I think I would miss my hot water. Loving to get up of a morning and take a hot shower right out of the spigot is the best feeling. I definitely take hot water for granted.
kennmarg1989 at aol dot com
Hot water is a lovely luxury, Margaret! Our hot water tank broke a couple years ago …
If we had lost electric again like we have in the past for(4Months)I would miss the water… We are on a well and need electric for the water.. But was fun going to get water with buckets the kids had a ball doing that.. 🙂
Sounds like you’re resourceful, Rebecca, and make the best of situations! I bet your kids will never forget your “adventure”.
If it was summer, I’d miss the fan if it was hot out. Any other time of the year, or summer, I’d miss the radio and would hope that my ipod would stay charged forever. I absolutely love listening to music!
A music lover, Vanessa! May you never be without it!
tough question…… makes me really think about what and how much I use electric items. Not sure one single thing could not be replaced with something different! Guess I would only miss hot showers.
Don’t we all rely on electricity, Pam? Except the Amish!
I would miss having my refrigerator and freezer. All my food would go bad. I would miss my stove and my microwave. I would miss not having to use my computer and so, so many more things. Wow, I take a lot of this for granted.
croe43@yahoo.com
Chris
I take a lot for granted too, Chris! When the power goes out … time to get creative!
I would miss the internet, since it’s how I work from home, but I guess it would force me to relax, which I really need!
I work from home too, Kalyn, so would greatly miss the Internet!
This is easy for me as we were without power for 10days after a severe ice storm. I would miss EVERYTHING. We had heat, as we heat with wood. I was able to cook on our wood stove. I did dishes by candlelight by hand. I don’t know how many times I walked into a room, flipped the switch, only to remember there was no light. I LOVE to read about the Amish way of life. However, I would not want to live it.
Oh, my, 10 days, Lisa! The Amish are quite resourceful and use batteries and gas in their kitchens, and various types of lamps.
I would miss my coffee and the air conditioner – other than that I would curl up with a good book and enjoy the peace and quite.
Vlwilson05@hotmail.com
I keep a stash of powdered coffee in case our power goes off. I figure we could always heat water on our gas BBQ. Now AC is a different problem …
This is tuff I could live with out most but maby it would be light but u never know until u loose everything. Jennie the_tabers@comcast.net thanks for give away
My stove since it’s electric, not gas or propane. And flipping on lights in every room gets frustrating when the electricity goes out & I flip the switch by habit! Katie. katie07edgar@gmail.com
I do take my electric stove for granted, but love it when my husband uses the BBQ!
if my power went i would spend it reading by candlelight n would make sure my ereaders was charge by the car or truck. so i could live without power. i would miss my laptop because of my friends n family on facebook as long as i got something to read i would be ok. ida davis email is houswife@gmail.com
I can’t go to bed at night without reading first, Ida, so know what you mean! Well, if I do go to bed without reading I don’t get a good night’s sleep.
Water coffee pot and sewing machine. It keeps me busy when I’m not reading. I would live both books and the hotpad is beautiful.
Water and coffee pot sound like good priorities, Terri. I need to get back to my sewing machine!
our electric went out last summer for 3 days. I missed my a/c immediately so that is what I would miss most. and 2nd is the refrigerator. one winter we lost power when we lived in the country and it wasn’t bad. we had a wood stove for heat, and could heat water and even cook on it and we had a creek by our house to get water, and i listened to a battery radio and we played a lot of board games.I would love to win.
3 hot days in summer w/o AC doesn’t sound like fun, Sharma. The boardgames do!
If I lost my electricity for a day I would find a place to curl up and read one your books.I love your books! Would LOVE to have any of them and the gorgeous pot holder!
Mary Scott
usrednecks@hotmail.com
Thank you so much for your lovely compliments!
I would miss my microwave.
That I assume you use it for many purposes, Elaine!
I think I would miss air conditioner the most.I don’t do well with heat.I would love to win this.Blessings to you and the winner. linda.stowe@att.net
Do not want that air-conditioning going out, Linda!
I would miss having the use of an air conditioner or fans. We get a lot of humid heat in the summer here in Minnesota and I try to keep the house cool so that my young boys don’t overheat. I would love to win, my email is elise_jehan@yahoo.com, thanks!
I have never understood why Minnesota is both hot and humid, Lisa, but I believe you. Hope you keep your kids cool this summer!
If it happend in the winter it would be heat. If it happen in the summer cold drink. I hope to win. My e-mail address: brs882@yahoo.com
P.S.: Oops, I forgot to leave my name: Janna Vitukhnovsky.
I would miss my refrigerator/freezer. It isso importsnt to keep foods from spoiling. I remember the old house I grew up in had a side cupboard called the safe. It had wire netting and air coming from outside but it kept the food cool. I think going without a fridge would be very hard for us as a family.
Sandra
nz.sandra@gmail.com
I agree, Sandra, I am always amazed how people manage without their refrigerators. The house I grew up in had the same type of wire covered cubicle for cooling vegetables. I’d love one of those again!
I actually lived without power for 6 days in 2007 do to a big storm. Luckily we had a generator for our refrigerator and freezer, but that was it. We spent a lot of time with our friends, checking on our neighbors, feeding our friends. I also read 6 books that week. It was a quiet family filled week. I loved and hated it!
Erin
erinzachjj@gmail.com
You make me want to get a generator! It sounds like a wonderful time to bond with neighbors and friends, and read!
I live in Fl and in 2004, we had the effects of 2 hurricanes, 1st time we were without power for 3 weeks, the 2nd time for 2 weeks. I had to take showers at my daughter’s house, I don’t do cold showers. I could be fine without the electronics and be satisfied to read.
Susan
th4eachday@comcast.net
Man, oh, man! Three weeks and then another two!
Last year anytime we had a storm our power would go out. I sat in my car charging my phone while using it to light up my Kindle so I could keep reading. So, if I didn’t have electricity I would miss my phone. I could always read a paper book, but my phone can be a lifeline for me. =)
njclark8203@aol.com
Very resourceful, Jennifer! I also rely and my phone lots, but keep one old-fashioned landline.
air-conditioning or heat and my computer/internet!!
Rhonda
rhonda_nash_hall AT comcast DOT net
I wouldn’t blame you for missing any of those, Rhonda!
If it went out in the summer…definately my air condition.If it went out in the winter for just one day..probably my computer internet because I would miss seeing everyone’s posts.jackie_tessnair@yahoo.com
I know I’d miss my computer, Jackie!
Kate, I would miss the computer most of all, but I’d hope the time without electricity wouldn’t ruin the food in the refrigerator also.
Thanks so much for another wonderful contest. I would love to win that lovely potholder and also your book Leaving Lancaster. Mary Lou K flowersmarylou85@gmail.com
You sound like me, Mary Lou, torn between my computer and the practical necessities of life.
I would miss TV the most. Too quiet here without it.
susanlulu@yahoo.com
Since I work on the computer, that is probably what I would miss the most with coffee being a close second. But I would probably figure out the coffee… I’m sure the camp stove would work.
My computer is also my constant companion Naomi, but a morning cup of coffee …
We’ve had several “rolling blackouts” this summer because of extreme heat. What did I miss the most with no electricity and extreme heat? Air conditioner. Flash lights and candles are great fun to read by, but no moving air in the house, let alone cool air, really stinks.
jahaefner@aol.com
You poor thing, Julie! Nothing fun about extreme heat without AC!
Definitely the air conditioner during this time of year.
Grandmahaefner@aol.com
You’re not alone on this one, Bonnie! AC is a top contender.
Fans and air conditioning. It gets pretty hot and humid here in Texas.
kimmerbees5@aol.com
I watch the weather reports and gasp, Kim. Too hot in Texas!
Ours went out last year with a hurricane–for a few days! Everything in the fridge and freezer spoiled (what we didn’t cook on the grill.)
The lines to Dunkin Donuts in the neighboring towns were extremely long–more so than usual. New Englanders LOVE their coffee! I suffered terribly 🙂 without having mine at home first thing. Had to wait til I got to the coffee shop. Blessings!
Mary
marydevey2@verizon.net
My husband and I both agree: when the electricity goes out, coffee becomes our number one priority!
I would miss my A/C the most right now as it is 95 degrees outside!!
Cindi
cindi.laughlin@ymail.com
You have my sympathy! 95 is too hot.
i wouldn’t miss it, love the quiet AND more time for reading and crocheting
Well, I guess I could figure out how to make coffee or some semblance thereof on my gas stove, but I am very dependent on just pushing the button on my coffeemaker. In the summer, I would miss the air conditioner most. How spoiled we are!
I would miss the air conditioning…oh and toilet
I would miss my morning coffee and the air conditioning the most. I have a lantern I can use to read, and plenty of books on my shelf.
I count on my morning coffee … !
Sadly my computer but mostly water and the ability to use the stove to cook/bake!
Your common sense is making me feel guilty for wanting my computer over the necessities of life, Shirley.
I would miss the washing machine and dryer as we have to much to do by hand. In the summer it would be my air conditioner as well. I always come up with silly games for the kids to play if the power goes out. We pretend we are camping.
Joannah
Playing games with the kids sounds a lot more fun than washing clothes by hand!
I’d miss my air conditioning the most this time of year! 😉
It would depend on the time of year…winter, my furnace (I live in northern Minnesota) I need radio or tv…I live out in the woods…silence, especially at night bothers me. I need electric for refrigeration and water…I’m hooked I guess…
If you live in the woods, you are probably without electricity more than the rest of us, Kristine, and have more experience. It’s mighty noisy in the city …
kristine.morgan@yahoo.com I lived in Pittsburgh until I was 27…have never quite gotten used to the quiet…it’s been 20 years LOL
For just one day, I would see it as an adventure. Sadly, the refrigerator would be problematic. The kids would be reminded of all the media they like and could not have. I would be without email or Facebook, etc. Which would be nice for a little while, but tiresome in the end. We really do live a fancy life.
Thank you for the opportunity to win this giveaway. My email address is GlamorousLooks[at]live[dot]com
Thanks
I live that same fancy life, but when the electricity goes off the silence is glorious … for a while.
I would miss nothing. At one time we lived in a small town in Mexico for a summer and to this day my now grown kids fondly talk of what we lacked and the fun we had.
Congratulations, Cynthia! You sound like you have a wonderful family and fond memories.