Audra Krell

The Nightmare Before Christmas

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about ways to conserve energy and how I can personally reduce consumption and emissions of Carbon Dioxide.  I made some small changes, including unplugging cell phone chargers, turning off lights more often when I leave a room and researching ways to reduce my contribution to Global Warming, as stated in the last post.  I have been disciplined in my changes, but they really aren’t anything that causes me discomfort.

Last night I was on the phone with my sweet sister-in-law, when the electricity on one side of the house and in very random areas of the rest of house, dimmed to almost nothing.  The faint glow from certain lamps barely qualified for Halloween lighting.  The power never came back up, and I knew something was wrong, as the power didn’t shut off, but just severely dimmed.  I noticed that the washing machine didn’t work, but the dryer would turn on, just not heat.  I took an extremely cold shower this morning since the water heater didn’t work!  The refrigerator works, oven and microwave don’t and of course the computer takes way too much energy to use.

Public Service came out, and it turns out we have two underground power lines, and one of them has gone bad.  APS took the one good line left, split it in two and is running the whole house off one line.  Later this week, the fun will begin when they come out to dig up the line and replace it!  For now, we can’t use the air conditioner at all.  Good thing it’s only 88 degrees here!  We can’t use appliances at the same time, for example we have to wait until the washer is done before we dry the clothes.  I threw in a load of laundry and it was time to go to the bus to pick up the boys.  I was scared to death to try and open the garage, while the washing machine was running!  What if I couldn’t get the van out?  What if I ruin the one good power line we have left?

I picture God laughing and slapping his knee at my pitiful attempts at becoming a conservationist.  I can feel his loving arms guiding me. I understand that He wants to teach me and renew my mind with significant ways that I can make a difference in our energy usage and in our monthly bills.  I am turning around and teaching our boys to think differently about the house, the environment and about honoring every gift that God has given us. 

I have to go now because one boy is about to turn on his guitar amplifier and the other is going to make Taquitos in the microwave.  Tune in next time to see if the hunger for food or loud music won out.  It’s a good thing Legos don’t require electricity, Landon wouldn’t make it.

Praying again, that we’ll all remember to keep the small stuff, the small stuff.

Love and blessings,

Audra