Happy 200th to me!

My 200th Post has crept up on me. It just doesn't seem like that long ago that I wrote my 100th. It has, in fact, only been a little over four and a half months since I wrote my 100th post which was actually a Wordless Wednesday, but oh well...it was still #100.
I briefly thought about trying to think of something special to do for my 200th post, but that would mean that I would have to take some extra time to really think of something good, and since I feel like writing a post right now, I am going to forgo the fanfare and just keep the celebrating to a minimum. Maybe in a few months I will hit 300 and then do something really special. Until then, thanks for reading, for commenting and for being all the wonderful people you are!
Now, on to my previously scheduled post...

Tonight we are waiting on a storm. Living at the Oregon coast means that we enjoy some rain of course, but it also means that we get quite a few wind storms every year, and several power outages. For the most part the power outages are short. Last year we had one that lasted a couple of days, but it wasn't so bad once it was over. Although we aren't living high on the hog when we have a power outage, we have hot water (because our water heater runs on natural gas), a way to heat food without electricity, a stove top popcorn popper, oil lamps, and a kerosene heater.
When we heard that there was going to be a storm coming, we decided to make sure we had a few more essentials. While I don't necessarily cook everything from scratch, I don't generally keep a lot of meals in a box or can around the house. Mac and cheese is the one exception to that, but generally I make that from scratch too. So to prepare for the storm I sent D out to Costco and had him buy a case of chili. Yes, I know its not really conducive to family togetherness because of some unfortunate side effects, but it will give the boys something to laugh about because nothing is funnier to boys than those kinds of bodily functions. We also got an extra case of water even though we already have a couple of them in the van, some glow sticks (they are comforting to scared children), some bread, crackers, and most importantly a case of Ding Dongs. Usually we like to eat our Ding Dongs frozen, but in the case of a power outage we are willing to make an exception. Even though the whining is almost unbearable, the house gets colder than we like it, and everything is dim, I find that I enjoy the occasional power outage. The boys are quieter, we read together, we all stay in the same room instead of spreading out around the house, and I just enjoy being together.
Don't get me wrong, after a day of it I am always ready for a return to my email and my blogs, but a little power outage doesn't hurt. If we didn't get them so regularly in the winter time, I would be scheduling our own family power outages from time to time myself.
So if you don't hear anything from me for a couple of days, we might just be right here, huddled around the table with the glow of an oil lamp and some candles, eating popcorn and drinking cocoa. Try not to be jealous...