Our Crazy Quilt

Good morning.

Hooray! We are home.

Fourteen days (nearly to the hour) after we lost power, we finally got the phone call we'd been waiting for:

"Hello, this is Slope Electric. We're calling to tell you that we think we have restored power to your home. Is there a way that you can verify that for us?"

Wesley immediately used his cell phone to dial our home number. When the answering machine picked up, he knew that we were back "on the grid".

I had an indescribable feeling of relief. As we drove home after dark, our hearts filled with joy and excitement, the sight of our glowing home on top of our snow covered hilltop nearly brought me to tears. Of course a bunch of lights were on.... we'd been turning the switches on for 14 days out of habit.

As I thought about writing today's essay, and tried to put words to this experience, I realized that our home reminds me a well-loved crazy quilt. A little cluttered, adorned with bits of sentimental value, and embellished with precious photos, gifts, colors and textures. The chaotic result is one of a kind: uniquely beautiful, overflowing with warmth, contentment, love, and interwoven connections.

I've written before about the appealing decorating style that draws me into the pages of the Crate & Barrel, Ikea, or Pottery Barn catalogs. Free of clutter or distraction, clean, tidy, and contemporary in design. How lovely. Like a two color geometric quilt... right angles, crisp points, orderly and mathematical. The books on the shelves are color coordinated, the backgrounds are neutral, and there are no stuffed animals or clumps of cat fur on the carpet. I love that look!

Yet, our home is more like a crazy quilt. And, we are so, so, incredibly grateful to be living in it again. This experience has taught us how much we take for granted, and given us a striking new appreciation for the many luxuries in our daily life.

My heart goes out to our readers in the mid-Atlantic region who are in the midst of an epic blizzard, and the thousands of people without power. I hope you stay warm & safe, and pray for the safety of your emergency workers.

Spring can't come soon enough!

Photo Credit: Crazy Quilt by Granny Irwin, Museum of Appalachia, Norris, Tennessee, via Wikipedia