If anyone saw me at BricoDepot (big DIY store)in Bordeaux yesterday….
I usually look better than that…
Living by candlelight is really not nearly as romantic and ‘special’ as one might think.
And I’d been up since 5am so I was a bit tired.
That ‘s when the girl dogs woke me.
Admittedly, a gale force wind and freezing rain pouring into the bedroom would have eventually woken us, even without the benefit of frantic paws on the face.
Having the huge, double-hinged windows that are standard in most of Europe allows you to throw them open and lean out… Like Juliet swooning over Romeo.
You can’t do that with a window that needs to be cranked open or lifted up.
Of course, the likelihood of the latter type of window blowing open in a storm isn’t very great, either.
Here’s how it all played out…
I’m sleeping. There’s a gentle nudge of a cold nose on my hand. I open my eyes and see a flash through the window.
Ah, a storm, I thought, listening to the wind and waiting for the thunder.
I saw another flash, heard no thunder, and realized that the power had just gone out.
I got smacked with a paw just as I heard a huge gust of wind. I started being grateful for sleeping in a big, stone house when the bedroom windows crashed open and the shutters came loose and started banging.
I struggled, unsuccessfully, to get the windows closed, leaning into the wind and rain.
Mon mari finally got out from our toasty bed, most reluctantly, leaned out and grabbed the shutters. After fastening them closed, he got the windows closed.
No more rain, but we’d never know if and when the sun came up.
By this time the wind was howling ever more ferociously, more doors and shutters were banging and the rain was pounding.
I went into the hall and there was a tornado coming up the stairs and the flat door into the attic was elevated about 3 inches.
I found a flashlight and made my way down the stairs, barefoot.
The main door was standing open, the wind howling and the rain blowing across the kitchen in sheets.
It took all of my strength and weight to get the door closed.
I turned away, and it crashed open again…
You get the picture….
Once we got everything as secure as we could, we went back to bed.
I had 2 terrified girl dogs trying to get in with me.
They were finally content with just leaning on the side of the bed…. But they were panting so hard it was like being in a cheap hotel…
You know (or maybe you don’t…)the kind with a vibrating bed?
We gave up.
With no power at either house, we loaded up the girls and went shopping… for plumbing supplies and candles.
Dinner by candlelight is romantic.
Cooking by candlelight is a challenge.
Brushing one’s teeth and getting dressed by candlelight is a pain in the ass.
We still have no power at Vlad’s House.
Which means no hot water.
Which means no shower.
If you thought I looked bad yesterday…..
We do have power, again, at our house, so we can work today.
On a serious note: there has been a lot of local flooding but mainly vineyards, farm fields and low roads, plus a lot of trees down and sheds blown apart. Not having a television, we only know about what we have actually seen.
On a less serious note: the Travelers (gypsy camp) by the river are gone. We figure they saw the waters rising and headed off for drier, sunnier places.
Smart.
Lest you think we are not smart enough to eat our winter veggies…. Here are two favorite Brussels Sprouts recipes:
The recipe, Sautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Leeks, has been updated, nutrition information added, and re-posted here: Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Leeks.
The recipe, Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprouts, has been updated, nutrition information added, and re-posted here: Brussels Sprouts, Sweet & Sour.
Remember, the key to good Sprouts is to cook quickly!
And my new head light works great – for reading.
Not for chopping vegetables. There’s a fingernail loose somewhere in last night’s stew….
Wait!!!!!
I just found the bright side!!!!
It’s cold enough in the house that I don’t have to worry about the food in the fridge spoiling!
See? One just has to look!
Last updated:
I love sprouts but have trouble bringing myself to eat them anytime after christmas. Dunno why!
Oh, my — what wild weather you’re having! I hope things have calmed down and are back to normal now. And — how I wish I had bought those Brussels sprouts and leeks I saw at the grocery store yesterday!
Katie, that is some story. I’ve been hearing and reading about those winds.
I love sautéed Brussels sprouts. We had them last night – roasted with pearl onions and carrots.
And I have had a room with vibrating beds – it was a perfectly respectable hotel – a well-known chain – in South Bend, Indiana.
Shall we call you Josephine! 😉
What an adventure you are living, thank heavens you can still at least eat well!
we had the same weather you had. They said the winds were 70 mph. We live tucked into the woods and the trees were bending over (big trees), there was a huge one that fell from across the road into our meadow, blocking the road until a nice farmer came down with his chainsaw. Our rivers are so swollen and we had a lot of flooding too, not at our house but we were without power on Saturday and it was a drag! Glad you are back with power and freshly showered.
I can’t believe . . .
panting so hard it was like being in a cheap hotel…
You know (or maybe you don’t…)the kind with a vibrating bed?
I really should know better than to open one of your post when Gorn is sleeping next to me. I wake him every time!
Sometimes shopping is just the very best idea.
Isn’t it fun to play the Glad Game? But somehow, even knowing that the food won’t spoil, having the whole house at refrigerator temperature (or lower) makes playing the Glad Game just a little more difficult.
SO sorry to hear that your power is out! That is horrible especially in winter!
Hope there wasn’t too much rain damage.
Both Brussels sprouts dishes sound great. I especially like the sound of the one with the leeks. So much so that I’ll look for Brussels sprouts at the vegetable store today. I think we neeeeeeed to try this.
Katie,
Whew… Karen and I were chatting on Skype last night and wondering how you had fared!
Glad to see, you even got some cheap hotel thrills from the whole affair 😉
hugs!
Lisa, it was a wild ride!
Scott, just as well I didn’t post the recipe with chestnuts, then….
Mimi, I need to roast some – haven’t done that this year…. I didn’t have to put a quarter in mine…
Natshaya, cooking in the dark was NOT fun, the wine helped…
Our Juicy Life, you are lucky, living with all those trees! Our power finally came back yesterday…. The shower… Oh yes!
Tanna, glad to entertain… Tell Gorn I’m sorry – or to stay up later!
Elizabeth, these few days were a struggle. I’m becoming a wimp!
breadchick, cheap thrills are better than no thrills, right?
What an adventure. I went through something similar last Spring. We had sustained 90 mph winds for 7 hours. My dog Daisy panted for hours and ended up in the bathroom with her head facing the corner next to the toilet. I think she was trying to tell me that was the safe place to be. We have gone through remodeling too. Glad I found your funny blog – but too late to vote. Next year.
Chiming in, once again late, but this time I’ve got a good excuse because I’m just barely beginning to recover from a ghastly respiratory flu – to tell you that I commiserate with your power outage. We had one for 5 days one winter. After the first 12 hours they are no fun. No fun at all. Nice Sprouts, Katie!!
We heard about the storm Glad you are all safe.
We have friends in the Marina at Ibiza that was scary for them.
I almost wished for winter when I saw the sprouts recipes. That’s one thing I miss at this time of the year.,
Cheers
My mother always chose to defrost the freezer in mid-winter, so that she could just dump the contents on the back porch.
Also, head lamps are awesome. Period, end of story.
Penny, I was afraid to let mine outside for fear they would just take off running! Dogs do not like wind!
Christine, hope you are feeling better. 5 days!!!! Ouch!
Gilli, I heard the seas were rough. Portuguese fisherman needing rescue and all that. 20 foot swells.
Magpie, porches in winter in cold climates make great fridges. And the head lamps – wonderful. Ours are ‘dynamo’ so it’s hand wind and no batteries… maybe not as bright, but you know it’ll work…