Three Beautiful Things 03-14-2026: Snow and a Power Outage/Onage, I Won a Drawing!, Planning for Debbie's Return

1. On Thursday, when Copper and I retired for the night, he was blissfully oblivious to the fact that it was snowing steadily and beginning to pile up. By the time I decided to rise and shine, I looked out at the front of our house and knew that rise and shine was about to become rise and shovel. 

I made myself a latte to warm up before heading out and suddenly our power went out. 

I sighed. I began the process in my head of bracing myself for another day of the house growing gradually colder and later on, darker. 

I trudged outside and began to shovel the wet and heavy snow. I paced myself. I didn't have a heart attack. After a while I finished clearing our sidewalks and Christy's. 

Back in the house, I sat down. I caught my breath. A couple of gulps of latte remained and, to my delight, my cup warming device had enough leftover juice to keep the latte pretty warm while I shoveled. 

A text message alert came from Avista. The utility company informed me that the estimated time for the restoration of our power was Sunday at noon. 

I stared blankly into the abyss for a few seconds and was about to rally myself to get going on power outage preparations when PRESTO! the power came on! 

Fifteen hours suddenly became about three minutes. 

Our power went out again later in the afternoon, but only for a few minutes -- and before a text message could come in telling me power would be restored on St. Patrick's Day. 

Right now, it's 6:30 on Saturday. 

I really hope the juice just keeps flowing into our house and into everyone else's for, oh, I don't know, the next nine months or so. 

2. The NYtimes Sunday Crossword puzzle on line is available at 3:00. 

I went to work on it, figured out this puzzle's double theme and was having fun working it.

I glanced at my email inbox and I'd received a message from a stranger with the subject line, Spokane String Quartet tickets. 

I opened it and nearly had the heart attack I hadn't had while shoveling. 

I won two season tickets for the 2025-26 Spokane String Quartet series of programs. 

Then I remembered.

I'd filled out a questionnaire at last Sunday's concert and remembered that one questionnaire participant would win season tickets. 

I won the drawing. 

I'm really happy. 

3. It's looking pretty certain that Debbie will return home this coming Friday. 

I've begun to develop a game plan for her return primarily focused on getting our house looking better. 

I'll get a head start on this project because on Monday, I host family dinner and I always try to at least give Paul, Carol, and Christy the impression that I'm not a total slob and really can sweep, vacuum, pick up stuff, clean the bathroom, wash down counter tops, and present a decent looking place to dine together. 

I'm no Mr. Clean, but I can be Mr. Pretty Clean and my efforts will begin tomorrow. 

I won't get things too clean.

I don't want anyone having a heart attack.