When I was growing up, we lived out in the BOONIES, and had NO TV reception. Some of my favorite family times was when we would all lie on the floor in the evenings after a hard days work, and my mom and dad would read out loud to us. Where the Red Fern Grows was one of the books I remember. One chapter a night was the target goal, but sometimes it just got sooooo good we'd beg for more!

That's what I'd choose for a family night with no power ~ a wonderful book with a captivating audience!

As far as your other question about going, doing, playing, watching, surfing, talking.... I might have to answer that one with a blog post of my own... I was getting bogged down with my answer and feeling like I was on a soap box.... thought perhaps I should take my soap box over to my own blog before I got booted!!! :)

Great thoughts. Great post.
Love ya!
Chelle

There are lots of fun things to do when the lights go out.....

But seriously....sometimes when our power has gone out I have sat and read by candlelight...or even flashlight. Or I have just laid around and been lazy and enjoyed the quiet that comes with being still.

We do all need to take time to just BE. We do feel like we always have to be doing something...even in those few moments when we could just sit and do nothing...or pray...or be with our Father...or our family.

Thanks for the reminder Cyndi.

Keep climbing out of that place you are in. God is the ultimate...."POWER"....

Tammy

Man, you guys are deep thinkers!!! I can promise you that my husband would send the kids to bed and "just be" with me...now I might "just be" with him if he was nice to me that day...just kidding. I'm not quite that shallow.
Ken and I have often talked about kicking out the tv and the internet for a while, but we aren't courageous enough. Okay, I'm not courageous enough. Sometimes, when I need to "just be by myself"-it's nice to know that I can turn on "Cars" and Jayden will not move from the TV. Hannah Montana works pretty good for the girls. Will spends a lot of pre-teen "just being" time in his room already. He doesn't have tv, internet, video games or a phone in his room, but he prefers the solitude. I think the younger kids drive him crazy.

We also are a big "game" family. We play poker, Wii(I know power)or other stuff together. I think if we were without power, we probably would play poker. It's our favorite. My kids are gonna hit it big in Vegas one day.

love ya,
TErri

I'm with Chelle on this one - my favorite thing is to curl up as a family and read a good book to a captivated audience. Once, we actually did without power (in the evenings only) for a week and it was fun. Yes the first night was difficult - lots of "What are we going to do....???" comments, but then the children - and Kurt and I - just enjoyed "Being." We ate dinner by candlelight, talked, laughed, played games, read together...it is a time I remember fondly.
I love you Cyndi.
Marilyn

Pardon the choppiness of this reply: This thought provoking post reminds me of Beth Moore's statement about being "Captive to being too Active". I find that we are that way in our family. It's not just go, do, get, but----where can we go, what can we do, where can we get...I get bummed by that, but I just can't bring myself to roughing it. I suppose the way I grew up was roughing it and now I overindulge myself. Rather shameful--but, somewhat true. "Without the power" has happend a few times this week and I was definitely reminded of how much we not really "need" power, but want it to numb ourselves to much of our surroundings. It's that mindless entertainment that I find rather time consuming. I do have to admire the roladex of ideas Austin had begun when arriving at something that used batteries instead. During "Turn Off The TV" week in May (which no one has heard of because we rely on TV to tell us of things....and TV's not going to plug that one), my students usually could make it a day longer than me in the challenge. Oh....I wonder how big the families are in Spain!

I thought I had commented, then checked and saw I wasn't there. Then remembered why........I can't think of anything. The last time the power went off that I actually remember, it was very near bedtime. Now, the kids WOULD NOT sleep in their rooms when it was pitch black, so they very happily made a pallet in the floor of our room.

Maybe now that we've discovered the telescope again, we might try to take it outside since no street lights could interfere.......I don't know.

During the blizzard of 93, I remember playing a lot of games, but so far, I can't come up with anything. Lets hope it doesn't happen tonight, or I'll be sunk.

I would also be willing to place bets that whatever SaraKate is doing will involve singing.....