Beautiful destruction.
Snow, like flecks of fine irridescent glitter floating through the air.
Individual blades of glass encapsulated in their own domes of glass like tiny test tubes peeking through the snow.
Trees bowing, bending, breaking to the majesty of God.
Breathtaking.

One of my first thoughts upon waking was that Steven hadn’t called the night before. He was supposed to visit his parents and enjoy warmth and warm meal (they had a generator) but he planned to go back home afterwards – and then, he was supposed to call me once he was home so I’d know he was okay.

I checked my phone to be sure, but there were no missed calls. Groggily, I picked it up and began dialing his number figuring he must’ve forgotten or had been busy.

No service.

“Mom? Does your phone have service?”

“Nope, they’re all down.”

“Hmph.” I muttered and thought that maybe they’d be up as soon as people quit freaking out and hogging all of the lines.

I slowly edged back under the covers, warming my cheeks and nose as I mustered the courage to climb out into the cold. The aroma of instant coffee and hot chocolate drifted through the air like magical notes, promising us warmth. I sat down at the table and pulled out my notebook, along with a couple of other books and a Bible. The windows were foggy, but the soft glow of sunlight lit the words as I wrote them.

Dad, with nothing to do, borrowed a book I’d gotten from the library the previous week and sat in an armchair in the front room to read as mom hovered over a tiny battery operated radio trying to get a signal. Grams made herself busy with eggs and bacon on the burners and then with a sink full of dishes and soapy water.

The radio crackled as the news reports came through:

One gas station open to the public in Western KY. (Although there was another that had generator back up that the state and county had taken over for their gas.) HUGE lines.

Running out of gas.

People trying to stock-pile…just in case. Truck beds full of gas containers while their tanks sat on full and cars behind them idled on empty.

A couple of stores were open, but most were out of staples like milk, cheese, eggs,
bread, etc.

President Obama declares the ice storm in our area a major disaster and FEMA comes running

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