Turning down the lamps

One by one they've all gone to bed. Even the dog is snoring at my feet. The only sound in the house is a rhythmic thump thump from the dryer (not quite clothesline weather yet). The thought that comes to mind is of a family winding down and slowly dimming the lights for the evening. My hearing is oddly attuned to minute sounds at this hour. Perhaps it's the mother in me but I hear the hum of the lightbulb, the gurgle of the fish tank, the furnace in the basement is audible to me at this hour, even my own keystrokes as I write here. One thing I truly enjoy about our semi-frequent power outages is the total lack of noise. I relish those moments because they remind me that there is still so much more 'clutter' that I can remove from my life. In a few weeks the sound of the dryer will be replaced by the wind rustling outside my window, the furnace will fall silent for the summer and even the lightbulbs won't be as much of a nuisance as the sun will stay with us til nearly bedtime for a few fleeting months.
Tonight my thoughts turn to plans for the coming months: Flowers and bushes to plant, seeds to start, chicks to raise, even the possibility of finally getting our pig enclosure built after so many years of talking and planning. I've been reading up on canning today and I envision shelves of freshly canned home made goods. For some reason my mind kicks into high gear around 10PM when my body is done for the day.
As I turn down the last 'lamp' (i.e. this computer) tonite I look back on the day, the weekend and the week. I reflect on the successes (not failures). I thank God that my family has come through yet another week intact, healthy, safe; and I pray that He will show us the same graciousness in the coming week.