Appreciation

I've done a good job of sharing my frustration about being without electricity here. What you haven't heard is the appreciation I've also felt. Now that my head is a little clearer and I've had a night's sleep with a wonderfully cuddly cat who slept peacefully, purring much of the time, either on my chest or at my side leaning in as close as she could, I want to share some of those things and then I'll happily move on to something else. I know I've worn out at least one friend with my single-mindedness this past week. Heck, I've worn myself out with it.

So on to appreciation....

• One of my friends here invited me to join her and her partner at her mom's house where the power never went out for more than a couple of minutes. Her mom and mom's husband were fabulous hosts. They made me feel comfortable and at home. They dealt graciously with the interruption to their lives that having three extra people (and a couple of others, as well as another two dogs one night) brought to them. T's mom, L., who blogs at Tranquility Base, baked for us several times, and made some fabulous lasagna and chili. It was a great place to be this past week.
• It's hard to express how deeply grateful I am for my good friends T. and J. who have taken me into their lives freely this past year. Hanging out with them helped make things more bearable this past week. J. and I met through Seeker who was reading both of our blogs and took note of the fact that we were moving to the same city within a few weeks of each other. Shortly after I moved to town, J. and I got together. Through that connection, I found my church and some of the best friends I've ever had! So in addition to my deep gratitude for T. and J., I'm grateful for Seeker who suggested I e-mail J. It seems pretty random, but I know better! :)
  
• L. and T., her husband, have five dogs. They, along with T. and J.'s dog, were great fun to be around this week. I love dogs and would have one of my own in a heartbeat if my lifestyle would allow for me to take care of it properly. I thoroughly enjoyed playing with them and having them around. I tried to sneak one of them into my car when I left, but they all know they have a good deal where they live. None was willing to go with me. :)
• The property owners for my fourplex were so attentive and concerned about our situation this week. I'm grateful to be renting from great people.
  
• The guys who restored power to our building and who worked in our neighborhood were from Georgia. I don't advertise where I live here, but I can tell you, it's not anywhere near Georgia. People from all over the country have been here to help us restore our power. I am very grateful to them for their hard work!
• My boss has been wonderfully supportive of me and my difficulty concentrating this week. I'm grateful for the afternoon off yesterday when I'd reached my limit on dealing with the stress!
• My friend L. who lives in city west of here, where there also was significant damage though she was spared any herself, checked in with me every day and helped keep me sane. I'm grateful for her friendship too.
  
• And my favorite moment from the week was at church on Sunday, sitting in a sanctuary that was lighted and warmed only by the bright sun pouring through the tall, clear glass windows (the church still has not had power restored). We sat down for the service, busily swapping power outage stories when the service started, and the choir opened with, "Give us power, O Lord! Give us power, O Lord!" It took a few seconds, but in no time the place erupted in laughter.