the ice storm cameth
Most of the United States is currently experiencing crazy winter weather, and Texas is no exception. This morning, we woke up to snow, 16°F temperatures, the power went out at 2:30 a.m., and as of this writing, still hasn’t returned. Which means, of course, our central heating is out as well.
To be honest, had this occurred 5 years ago, I might have panicked. But between then and now Hurricane Harvey happened, and well … let’s just say our family knows we can do hard things.
Besides, we’re so lucky: we’d bought a generator several months ago (worried about a hurricane that seemed to be eyeing our city), and we’ve been putting it through its paces today — it’s been powering our fridge, our internet, a couple of lamps, a few devices, and a crockpot that’s currently simmering away with our dinner. And even though the generator’s too small to power our central heating, we’ve had our fire going all day, so despite our frigid outdoor temperatures, our living room is a chilly-but-bearable 52°F. We’re dressed warmly, we’ve been huddling together working and studying all day, and coupled with the gallons of hot tea we’ve consumed (made on our gas stovetop), we’re doing more than fine. It’s actually kind of nice.
Unfortunately, we’re don’t anticipate getting our power back until tomorrow earliest, and temperatures are expected to plummet to single digits tonight. So we’ll give our generator a break overnight, but not our fireplace, camping in our living room together under all the blankets. But again, we’ll be safe and sheltered — and let’s face it, it’s going to be back in the 70s by week’s end — so it’s all good.
The thing is, while all this commotion might seem incredible to folks from the northern parts of the world given that there’s only been a few inches of snow, trust and believe Houston isn’t built for this. Our homes aren't built for the winter -- they're built for punishing heat, not cold. We don’t have things like snowplows and salt trucks, so folks who don’t know how to drive in icy weather turn our freeways and overpasses into the Wild West. And for those Houstonians who are unhoused or living in tent cities, in clothing that is unsuitable for winter weather, nights like tonight can be deadly. I can’t stop thinking about them.
Anyway, all this is to say that I just wanted to check in to let everyone know that we’re okay, but also to encourage those of you who can, consider donating to Texas shelters or other aiding organizations. Here in Houston, one of our biggest services for the unhoused is the Star of Hope Mission, and they provide blankets, warm clothes and hot meals to those who need. You can donate to them here.
With that, I’m off to make another mug of tea. Here’s hoping all of you are safe and warm. Check in on your neighbours, if the situation warrants. And as usual, I’m sending you all love and light. ✨
Soundtrack: Hope [LOCK-IN], by Fat Freddy’s Drop, featuring Lisa Tomlins. Because a little reggae beat never hurt on a cold winter’s day.
It’s all about rhythm.