Jillian's Journal

It’s now been 4 days without power. Doesn’t bother me a bit, but the grownups are looking a bit frazzled. It’s the shower thing. My small body and bath in the kitchen sink doesn’t require much water, so hot water from the kerosene heater works just fine for me. In fact these have been some of the best and warmest baths I’ve ever had. The grownups however, need more than a pot or two of water from the heater to do the job. Neighborly Christmas spirit arrives again…Mike and Shirley Neal live next door and they have a gas water heater so they let the grownups come over and take a shower in their house. It’s amazing what a warm shower and a little shampoo can do to your mood. Heck, all cleaned up and refreshed we were ready to go another 4 days without power. They had just finished their showers and were back home for about 30 minutes when suddenly and without warning the refrigeration started humming and the lights came on! Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy and Daddy acted as if they just won a jackpot in Las Vegas! I was so embarrassed! Yesh! It’d only been about 90 hours! The central Ohio blackout was officially over at Grandpa and Grandma’s house. We were thankful and worried about thousands of others that were still without power. All things considered, it made my first Christmas that much more memorable. The Christmas of 2004 will be talked about and stand out in all our memories for the rest of our lives!