New Year’s Eve was a fun-filled evening of games and cocktails and dancing with my siblings and some friends. We laughed and played games while the storm outside pounded against the windows. Our power flickered a few times, and then finally by 9:30 pm, it went out completely. We continued our party by candlelight and Bluetooth speaker. Even when it was still out after our midnight countdown and most of our guests had left or crashed on the couch, we were unperturbed. We assumed it would be back on by the morning.

We assumed wrongly.

On New Year’s Day we woke to find a huge branch from our neighbor’s eucalyptus tree blocking the driveway. Thankfully we could get around it through my parents’ driveway, so we got in the car to try to make it to church, but after our third time being rerouted due to flooding, we turned back and went home.

We got warm food and coffee from the Starbucks a few miles away from home and decided to wait it out until our power had been restored. My dad and Jake cut the fallen eucalyptus branch so we could move it, and we could hear chainsaws and generators being used up and down the street as others did the same with the debris from the storm.

In the mid-afternoon, we went for a walk around the block to assess the damage. The new year definitely began with a bang: that bang was the sound of a tree taking out the power for our entire block.

The freeway was cleared later that afternoon (so thankfully our guests could return home), but the damage from the storm was more serious than we’d realized. The flooding we had seen from our car on our attempted trip to church was just the beginning.

We layered up against the chill and ate soup all together for dinner.

The candlelight was cozy and warm, even though our cottage temperature had dropped into the 50s. Jake and I played card games after Michael fell asleep, and I knit a little by candlelight with a glass of wine. It was a beautiful night, despite the unexpected inconvenience.

By the morning of January 2nd, there still was no update on when our power would be restored. Thankfully we have gas stoves, so cooking hasn’t been an issue, and we have been sporadically sharing generators to keep our fridges cold enough to preserve our food. The real complicating factor is water. All three houses on the property have wells with electric pumps, so without power, we have no running water.

We spent most of Monday running errands since our home temperature had continued to drop into the low 50s and we have a wriggly little boy who doesn’t enjoy wearing layers.

We decided to stop by my favorite used bookstore. I picked up some board books, a set of Beatrix Potter books, and a set of A.A. Milne Winnie the Pooh books for Michael. For myself I got some incredible vintage knitting books by Barbara Walker and some Agatha Christie mysteries. It looks like tonight we will be reading by candlelight as the storm continues.

Because of the fallen trees and the severity of the flooding, our county declared a state of emergency and the power company’s work crews are spread thin as they repair all the damage done by the storm. As of writing this, we still have no estimated restoration for our power.

If anything, this adventure has strengthened my resolve to turn our small cottage into a more self-sufficient homestead. But for now, we press on, make a list of all the things we’d like to have ready for next time, and do the best with what we have.

Prayers appreciated as we navigate this adventure!