There’s a big hurricane heading my way. We will probably lose electricity. I know electricity is important and that there are people whose lives depend it. I pray they will be safe. When we say, “we lost power,” or “they were without power,” what does that do to us mentally and emotionally? What if we said, we lost electricity?
Even if we lose electricity in the hurricane, we will have power.
We’ll have the power to pray, sing, and reminisce, the power to light a candle and tell stories or read a book. We’ll have the power to ask for help or help our neighbors. The power to clean up and, if we need to, rebuild.
Is it a coincidence that a major hurricane is coming on the same week home repairs have relocated us to the house my parents left me? My Wilmington house is 15 minutes from the ocean. My parents’ old house, an hour north, is about 30 minutes from the ocean. I feel safer here where the windows are reinforced and the roof is metal. Thanks, Dad. Plus this house is mostly brick, a little higher off the ground, and the trees are further away from the house. Thanks, Dad. I do wish I had thought to hug my beloved sycamore before I left and told her to hold on tight. I’ll be sending her love.
If this house was on the beach, where evacuation is mandatory, I’d definitely head for the hills. But this far inland, evacuation is voluntary. We plan to stay here with our old dogs who are just getting settled at the new location. I’ll be a little worried about my Wilmington house, but I believe we’ll be safe here. Prayers are welcome and appreciated.

Doodle is getting ready for the hurricane. She has the power to sleep.
Thank you to all the animal shelters and foster homes doing extra duty. Never leave your animal friends home alone during a hurricane! And kudos to my friend Michael who drives buses for the city. He’s was called into work yesterday to drive people to Raleigh.
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September 12, 2018 at 12:23 pm
Thinking of you JoAnna and family! Prayers! Best visualizations… my nephew’s birthday and my sister and her family are in N.C. too! You definitely have the power & the presence! I love how your parents are still with you.
September 12, 2018 at 12:27 pm
Thank you, Ka. I’ll include your relatives in my prayers. My parents are definitely here in their powerful spirits. ❤
September 14, 2018 at 1:49 pm
💗
September 12, 2018 at 12:31 pm
You be careful, all right? A storm this big can affect weather inland, too. Prayers and good thoughts, as always,.
September 12, 2018 at 6:23 pm
Thank you, John. I will be careful.
September 12, 2018 at 12:49 pm
Since you mentioned that in a comment on my post, JoAnna, I have come to really appreciate the distinction between electricity and power.
I will certainly keep you in our thoughts and prayers, but as John said, be careful.
September 12, 2018 at 6:27 pm
Thanks for getting it, Dan, and appreciating the distinction. I will be careful. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
September 12, 2018 at 2:16 pm
Hope everything will be fine and you all be safe. Take care!
September 12, 2018 at 8:32 pm
Thank you. I appreciate your hopes. I believe it will be okay.
September 12, 2018 at 2:24 pm
Be safe. I’ll be praying for you and family.
September 12, 2018 at 2:45 pm
Stay safe Joanna. Somehow, I sense you and your family will be safe in your Dad’s house. Coincidence you are there? No, I think not.
Hugs of support and hoping your Wilmington property stays sound. Crack open the box of candles… It might be a rough old night. ❤️🕯️🕯️🕯️
September 12, 2018 at 9:00 pm
Thank you! ❤ I feel safe being here. We have candles waiting.
September 12, 2018 at 7:22 pm
Nice thoughts and Doodle is super cute.
September 12, 2018 at 9:01 pm
Thanks. She’s quite a character.
September 12, 2018 at 8:22 pm
Prayers for you and your family. (And a few for that Wilmington house, too.) We’re 3 hours inland and are surely thinking about all of you on the waterfront.
September 12, 2018 at 9:36 pm
Thank you for the prayers and thoughts, Laura. I hope Florence has dropped down below hurricane level before she gets to you. They often weaken once they get over land.
September 12, 2018 at 9:22 pm
Prayers for y0u, y0ur husband, the dogs. and both houses. I am glad y0u are not so near the ocean. I know you are thankful to have the home where are now residing. Hopefully you will not be without electricity for very long. I assume you are stocked up on powdered/canned milk., bread, and vegetables that keep out of the fridge plus various canned goods and other essentials. And a kerosene portable stove for cooking. Also plenty of dog food. You never know how long it will be before things are back to a semblance of normalcy. Be well and be safe.
September 12, 2018 at 10:36 pm
Thank you, Yvonne. We have plenty of canned goods, dog food, and peanut butter, plus what’s in the frig which we are going to cook tomorrow. 🙂
September 13, 2018 at 2:11 am
I’m glad you are all set for the storm.
September 12, 2018 at 9:46 pm
Stay safe, JoAnna.
September 12, 2018 at 10:36 pm
Thanks, Rosaliene.
September 13, 2018 at 4:08 am
Someone is looking after you. May you not find too much damage on your return
September 13, 2018 at 12:24 pm
Thank you, Derrick. I appreciate that.
September 13, 2018 at 11:28 am
Best wishes during the storm. May it all turn out well. Good one-liner, by the way.
September 13, 2018 at 12:27 pm
Thank you, Frank. That means a lot.
September 14, 2018 at 2:38 pm
Hello friend, hope you are safe and dry in the family home. Things looked rough for Wilmington on the news last night. We can loose many things but it’s hard to live without our faith. I know your concerned about your home, hope not to much damage done. This is two years in a row for that area, Texas had it’s share last year. My husband doesn’t understand how I can love the beach so much but don’t want to live on one. I’m quite happy living five hours away from the beach, we can go on vacation.
I’ll be thinking about you and family. 🙂
September 14, 2018 at 4:57 pm
Thank you! My family and I are safe with minimal damage at the family home. Neighbors do not see any obvious damage to the house in Wilmington. I feel blessed by the prayers and good energy from my wordpress family.
September 14, 2018 at 6:32 pm
I just saw the news about Wilmington
September 15, 2018 at 4:16 pm
We are okay. Lots of trees and lines down in the neighborhood. Probably cant get into wilmington until next week sometime as rivers have not Yetcrested and roads may not be open.
September 15, 2018 at 7:46 pm
Stay hunkered down. Hope you have some battery power lanterns in case go out. Be Safe.
September 14, 2018 at 6:33 pm
Sent that reply to fast. Sounds like Wilmington is far hasn’t been hit to hard. Now it’s the storm surge, hope it’s not high.
September 14, 2018 at 4:59 pm
We don’t have electricity, but we got the power! Charging our phones in the car right now. Feeling thankful.
September 17, 2018 at 7:51 pm
Oh…JoAnna…You have been on my mind so much with Florence doing her SLOW dance!
Sending great energy and hoping that you are well and that both your homes survived intact (and your trees!!!) 😁😁💜💜
September 18, 2018 at 7:36 pm
Homes are intact! Trees lost a lot of limbs, but I’m very thankful.
September 18, 2018 at 7:40 pm
Stay safe, Joanna. Hope things get back to some kind of normal sooner than later 💜
September 18, 2018 at 7:49 pm
Thanks Lorrie. We made it to wilmington and back today. That house is okay mostly. Lots of yard work ahead, but I’m very thankful.
September 18, 2018 at 2:59 am
Hope you are OK. I think you may have seen flooding but hope it hasn’t destroyed too much. Hugs for recovery time. 🙏
September 18, 2018 at 7:39 pm
Thank you! Doing okay. Starting cleanup.