Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
December 15, 2016
By Pat Edwards

As I sit here writing this week’s column, I am surrounded by what looks to be a war zone. Trees… good-size oaks, mainly… and large branches are lying all around our home. One especially large tree in the hillside pasture in front of our driveway split in half and the huge, tree-size chunk landed precisely between a small storage shed and a fence. It is even straddling a wooden fence without smashing it. Our house and vehicles are unscathed although one of Jim’s tractors is littered with small branches.

We are currently without electricity… our third day, but thanks to our oldest daughter, Gloria, and Jim’s small generator, we’ve had enough light in our family room to think we are “normal,” warm food (and hot coffee!) and enough power to charge our cellphone batteries and provide Jim with his indispensable TV each night. It’s even allowing me to write my column on my laptop if the WiFi will allow it to be transmitted. We also had enough heat to keep us warm thanks to an indoor propane heater .

It’s all been an inconvenience, but this morning the roads are clear of ice and the sun is breaking through the clouds, so we are blessed in even small ways.

It was an extremely rough week for us even before the ice storm hit. We had to put down our beloved Outlaw. I still tear up when I talk about him as I am now. He and Shortie have been Jim’s and my companions now for many years. Unfortunately, Outlaw, a Queensland Blue Heeler, developed seizures and they got so bad, even though he was on medication, that he became brain-injured. He had 4 seizures in one day… the last one especially bad, After that, frequently he didn’t recognize us and became lost when he would go outside and eventually, even in the house. When he woke us up one night last week, whimpering because he didn’t know where he was, we knew that it was time. It was so hard, but he left us with so many good memories!

We’re going to have a quiet Christmas this year after our over-the-top Thanksgiving. It’s probably just as well since there’s so much to do once our power comes back on. I did get my tree up and decorated, but nothing else. Oh, yes! We did fill two requests on the Angel Tree. Apparently many others did, too, as Jim said that the tree at the store was kept bare most of the time. Thanks to all of you who filled the food boxes, too.

It was fun going to the Crow High School’s Alumnae Basketball Tournament this year, especially since the women played, too. There weren’t a whole lot of brave female souls who felt they were in shape to run up and down the court, but it was fun watching at least one granddaughter out there making her fantastic moves again. Our grandson, Kevin, was there, too, showing us some of his stuff. All were having a good time.

We also had an enjoyable evening the other night watching the Creswell Middle School Choir perform. Our youngest granddaughter, Natalie Edwards, was one of the singers who did a wonderful job of putting us into the Christmas spirit.

Thank you to all of the organizers in Booster Club and the Creswell choir director for the hard work that went into these events.

There’s probably a lot of other things I need to tell you and remind you of, but I don’t have access to my other files, so hopefully you will already had your calendars marked.

To each of you, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! and may your New Year be one that brings us all joy and peace.