Social Isolation

So it's been sort of socially quiet around here. Our Internet went out in a storm last Thursday night/Friday morning of last week and I've, excluding a trip to Matt's office to touch base with the virtual world, been socially cut off for a week. It sure makes this “stay at home Mom” appreciate the outlet of virtual connections. I've missed staying in touch with the daily lives of family across the country, friends on different schedules, and not the networking, but the opportunity technology allows for real connections to be made through virtual outlets.

I've found myself with a quick question thinking, “I'll just look that up,” only to remember the lost resource and remain in the dark to the answer. No it's not that there are not other resources available to me to aid in my question answering, but it is to say that many times those resources are unavailable and when they are, I have forgotten the question or find myself so distracted with two young children and my current oven baking contract (wink, wink), that I miss the opportunity.

We were blessed to not sustain any damage from the tornado-like winds that hit Friday night/Saturday morning in our area storms. I sat out on the front porch swing with Abi for what felt like a surreal break in time, watching tree branches and debris swoop over our roof and ride off into the neighborhood. We just sat in silence, in awe, of the power and might of God displayed in dark clouds, heavy rain, and flag-pole shaking winds. Our house is designed with an inlayed porch that runs for half the length of the house. Since the porch is capped on each end by the built-in garage and bedrooms on the other side, it is actually a pretty protected little space housing our porch swing. We've spent many quiet afternoons, evenings and mornings swinging to a storm's rain, enjoying the overhanging roof's protection and the occasional misting reminding us of the reality that we are actually outside. The porch is further protected by a row of bushes, soaking up the rain and standing as a waist-high protection from small backwinds. This little blessing of a space provides for safety and security to two little girls as their little toes get dusted with occasional mists from the comfort of the porch swing.

In the process of the storm, though while our power did not sustain damage (yay for lights and AC!), our community's water line broke, resulting in a 36 hour boil advisory followed by an additional 24 hour extension. When you use boiled water for almost all functions, the advanced timing, lack of ability to cool the water quickly, and practicality of two water/water-ingredient consuming kids plus my “drink at least 64 ounces of fluid per day” leg cramp needs seems a bit outlandish at times. So needless to say, we consumed many store-bought fluid ounces of additional powerade-type drinks and eventually broke down to purchase 2 gallons of water (It still leaves a foul taste in my mouth to purchase water in this advanced and blessed country. Not being snooty, just cringing at purchasing something I can get from a hose. LOL. Though in this case, I completely understand not utilizing the hose.)

During the past week of “social blackout” I've realized a few things:

1. Sewing projects have to be put on hold until free patterns can be further reviewed Online.
2. I use the Internet and Internet-connected devices for distraction a lot during this last trimester.
3. My friends/family use the Internet to connect with people more than the phone.
4. It's way too quiet around here.
5. We miss Netflix.
6. Facebook and Pinterest and Email are my news channels.
7. I wonder what's happening in Nigeria lately.
8. Or what's happening in my friend's adoption, or the other sites I enjoy keeping up on – my newspaper.
9. I miss my cousin, and sharing the pregnancy hiccups and encouragements together, from the “heart of it all” to the West coast.
10. I've missed some opportunities to pray through some prayer requests that have been posted Online.
11. My little nester-needs missed Pinterest and the really good and practical ideas I've enjoyed adding to our daily lives.
12. I'm just kind of bored. LOL.

It's not that I don't enjoy books, or “non screen time” activities. But it's also the reality of the heat wave (will it ever leave the mid-nineties WITHOUT venturing into the 100's category again?) keeping this little sun-burnable crew indoors. Coupled with the reality of being on a boil advisory adjusting our drinking habits, resulting in some light-headedness and general fatigue in my “making another human” category. Coupled with the reality of two young children's and this tired Mommy's napping needs, completion of homeschooling this week before our “Hannah break”, and the general reality of the heat zapping all motivation/energy... it just has made things a little quiet, and eventless, and boring around here. Maybe Matt has noticed how I wait like a puppy for his return from work. “What's the outside world like?” “What are people doing out there?” “Any new life-happenings?” hehe.

So needless to say I wrap up this long and, probably, exhausting post that I'll get to post AFTER all this is said and done, with the anticipation of our “fix all” web-box parts that are coming in the mail for us on Saturday. And Amazon, if you really love me, send them a day early just to be nice. ;) 

[THEY CAME FRIDAY!!!!!!] So Yay for our “social blackout” problem fix. =D

Thanks for sharing in this dose of RANDOM!