Oil Lamps in the Storm

Big, bad storm over the weekend. Brought to mind the REO Speedwagon song
'Riding the Storm Out'. Some of our relatives were without electricity for periods of four hours to two days. Lights stayed on here in central Iowa. I prepared for a power outage, tho. Filled up jugs with water, brought down sleeping bags; I have a gas stove so I don't worry about freezing to death immediately. Prepared to wait it out.

And this is why I have a gas stove. Years ago I bought a new gas stove and my mom asked "Why didn't you get an electric stove?" I told her "When the lights go out I'll still have heat. I don't have a wood stove to fall back on, like you do." She said "Oh." I could see that she was thinking it thru, and difficult as it was to admit, I'd done the right thing.

Growing up with mother took away the panic part of lack of electricity. Circumstances were such that my folks heated with wood stoves for about six years. They had electricity but not gas. We could watch TV, but we didn't have hot water; an abundance of cold water, yes, and indoor plumbing. A person braver than me could take a cold shower.

If the electricity went out it wasn't a big deal. Okay, no TV. We still had heat and a place to cook with the wood stove. Cook a little differently with a wood stove than with an electric stove, but we never were without food. My younger sister and brother always asked for hot cocoa. They thought it was neat that cocoa would get hot on the wood stove but not boil. From an adult perspective I think the folks missed having coffee, but six kids home from school without the distraction of TV would take their minds off those little luxuries.

Sometime after I moved away from home, Mom acquired some oil lamps. She was old enough to know how to use them for more than decor. During a time without electricity the oil lamps enabled my youngest sister and brother to do their homework for school. That didn't go over so well with one of my sister's teachers.

Teacher was telling the class that if they didn't get the homework done she understood. Of course you couldn't do homework with the electricity out. Sister said "I have my homework done." Teacher said "Did you do your homework in study hall?" Sister told teacher she had done her homework at home. "Without electricity for lights?" teacher queried. Sister said "My mom lit the oil lamps so that we could see to do our homework." Teacher asked "But weren't you cold without the furnace running?" Sister replied "No, we have a wood stove."

By then teacher was glowering, "I suppose your mother cooked on the wood stove, too?" Sister said "Well, mom heated up some canned soup and we made hot cocoa on the wood stove." Teacher gave the rest of the class an extra day for the assignment in spite of my sister's example of fortitude.

I do need to get some oil lamps and have Mom show me how to use them.