I am Back!

welcome back! You might consider getting some basic camping gear - could've been more comfortable. As much as I'm not crazy about camping, I feel very secure about power outs because of all the gear we have in the basement. Of course, none of that would've helped with the sewing machine. Hmm. Maybe I ought to find a treadle? already have one of those little cast iron - iron's that can be heated on the woodstove.

hhmmmm, Musicmaker

Well Sherry, God bless you. I've tried to wrap my mind around what kind of preparations and equipment you'd need to survive that sort of power outage and didn't get anywhere. I'm guessing most people don't have a woodburning fireplace and a nice stack of wood in the kitchen. Assumed they wouldn't sensibly use a charcoal grill for coffee even if they didn't at least have an outside sheltered area. There were some people at Talladega camping before a Nascar race who used a Coleman lantern to have a little heat in their tent during a surprise freeze. They died. If you were really 'prepared' for 11 days and 3 hours of no electricity, what would you do? Polly

When we moved back to Ohio, from California, we had to learn about power outages and their effect on the ability to live. One of the things we did was get some Aladdin lamps, with the electric unit and the Kerosene unit that can be exchanged as needed. the electric style works as usual but when Old Man Winter comes beating on your door with a sledgehammer, you can swap out the Kerosene lighting unit and you have a 60 w light source for each lamp. We finally got a gasoline generator and that allowed us to keep the freezers and refrigerator operating along with a few other of the appliances which we can swap as needed to produce a meal. Fortunately, the power outages usually don't last longer than a day or two. John

Missouri power outages nearly always come with an ice storm and frigid weather. I have two propane fireplaces that will both work without electricity- altho one has an electrically powered fan during normal use. They will each heat about 1,000 sq. ft. My second story stays warm with the heat rising from the family room fireplace. My propane grill (outdoors) has a regular burner on the side of the grilling area- but I have a propane cook stove, so I don't have to go outdoors to do any cooking. Then I have plenty of food, bottled water, etc. and battery powered radio and flashlights and candles... and a BIG supply of dog food! I'm the type who prepares for the worst and hopes for the best. You should have seen what I did for The Panic of The Year 2000 Millennium Scare. LOL

I'm so glad you survived relatively well.... if a bit 'smelly' and cranky! ;-) Welcome home! (And consider some kind of gas powered fireplace for future outages???)

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Well, we were probably better off than most. DS was a Life Scout (next rank is Eagle)... DH was a Scoutmaster and you know power outages are when those people really shine. We had an indoor propane heater, and an outdoor propane burner we heated water on, and an outdoor Coleman stove they cooked on. (note I said "they") We ended up having to buy a small generator to pump water for the livestock, so we swapped it out with the house. We could run cold water, the freezer, a lamp and a small TV on it. I guess I am a disgrace to my pioneer ancestors, because I decided early on that elaborate meals are not worth the trouble of heating water to clean the mess up. Roast me a hot dog and I'm good. And on topic. I have used quilts of all different kinds of batting. I learned that polyester batting, as comfty and puffy and pretty as it sometimes makes a quilt, isn't worth squat when you're really cold. I ended up using a wool quilt with cotton quit on top of it. When I got up this morning again I just marveled at the hot water running straight out of the faucet.

Sherry

If I were *rich* and really prepared, I'd have a 12,000 watt generator with lots of gas on hand. Since I'm not, I'd be sure to have a phone that was not cordless (they dont work), oil lamps, candles, baby wipes, matches, boo-coos of batteries, food that doesn't have to be cooked, chocolate (for mood elevation purposes only, of course), battery-powered socks, paper plates, bowls, lots of paper towels, plastic spoons. Enough cat food. (cats get surly too). What really stunk is that for the first three days we couldnt get out of the driveway because there was a powerpole/electric line lying across it.

Sherry

So good to have you back Sherry. you have had a rough time it seems.

Welcome Back , Sherry! you win the survivor of the week award!

i think the longest we've been w/out power is 2 days, and i was surly after that! i can't imagine 11!!!!

glad that's over, eh?

amy in CNY

We had a looong ice storm up here in Maine some years back... After being a "Navy Wife" for lotsa years (and different locations), we stockpiled the necessities every year (for hurricanes/ice-snow storms/etc) - - - batteries, candles, MANY gallon jugs of water, canned foods, flashlights, battery lamps, Portable radio, paper plates/plastic utensils, and games & toys to keep the kiddies busy (when they were little). We stocked up on stuff during "end-of-season" sales and stored it in crates for future use. (Of course, ya gotta replace the stuff and use the old before the "use-by-date" happens.) Our "retirement" house came with a woodstove - and when it wore out we decided we were too doggone old to split and cart wood in from the shed outside, and we debated between oil and propane for the new heat source.... didn't take long to realize that a propane stove did NOT need electricity to run!!! We can heat water on it (for coffee! and washing up) and stuff like soup - so we didn't go without the necessities. Also had an outdoor barbeque that used propane, so we could cook on it, too. I was sooo glad when cellphones appeared! - AND our portable radio has a hand-crank on the side which will recharge cellphones and the built-in-backup-battery in the radio itself. Can never be too prepared! We've been so lucky this winter - most all the storms have gone to the south of us. ME-Judy

"Polly Esther" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...

Oh man, Sherry! 11 days???? That's awful.

So glad you're back among the electrically blessed. :-)

Michelle in Nevada

Glad you are OK and warming up!

My brother and his family live in Chantilly, VA, they had the power go out for 9 hours and they have a fully electric house also. SIL did buy lots of food - but didn't think about what to do if she couldn't COOK IT on her electric stove! Today she bought a bunch of canned stuff as they're getting hit again tonight.

-Irene

Musicmaker, I think you'd enjoy having a treadle or hand crank machine. We had a snowstorm a few years back and no power for almost three days. Thank goodness for my handcrank - at least I could sew! I would have gone stir crazy otherwise!

-Irene