Although my home was only one of three million in the east that lost power during last weekend's snowstorm, I'll never again take having power at the flip of a switch for granted.

Kudos to the PPL workers for getting our power back as quickly as they did. I wouldn't have wanted the headaches they encountered during the past week.Thanks to readers who continue to supply me with column ammunition.GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.2) Wrinkles don't hurt.3) Families are like fudge ... mostly sweet, with a few nuts.4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.Before the power went out last Saturday I got a chance to watch some football. One thing I didn't like was when Notre Dame got up by a 49-7 score against the Naval Academy midway through the fourth quarter, and the Irish still had their starting offensive team in the game and they were still throwing the ball. The game announcers didn't touch on the subject, but I got the impression Coach Kelly and the Irish were trying to run up the score.GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.I'm hoping that Rosemarie C. Peiffer, who was featured in a Saturday edition of The TIMES NEWS several weeks ago, get her sewage permit and the go ahead so she can build her dream "castle" in Jim Thorpe.Can't wait to see it when it's completed.THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:1) You believe in Santa Claus.2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.3) You are Santa Claus.4) You look like Santa Claus.A loyal reader brought up this question: Food for thought. Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? Nobody complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what Castor oil cured, because I never hear mothers threatening kids with Castor oil anymore.With all the parades, parties, and trick and treating, is it me, or has Halloween gotten bigger than Christmas as a national celebration? I hope not.Please vote on Tuesday. You have an obligation to do so. If you decide to skip going to the polls, then you don't have any right to complain if you don't like the way our local governments are performing.Before last Saturday's snowstorm, I was planning on cutting my grass one more time before the winter sets in. Guess I'll wait until April.Hard to believe that the local high school football season is almost over. I miss the Thanksgiving rivalries.Seemed weird this week seeing fall foliage peaking out from beneath layers of snow.Baltimore Ravens are in Pittsburgh this Sunday for a night game against the Steelers. I just might stay up to watch that baby.Don't look now, but a lot of Eagles fans have jumped back on the bandwagon, after jumping off it a few weeks ago.Big news, apparently, is that Kim Kardashian's marriage to some pro basketball player I never heard of, is over after only 72 days. Who's Kim Kardashian and what's her claim to fame? And who cares how long her marriage lasted? I didn't send her a gift anyway.What's next? I just read where you can now buy scented shoelaces. Guess that's an answer for smelly sneakers.I hate when Daylight Saving time ends. Winter is gloomy enough without another hour of darkness. But nevertheless, don't forget to turn your clocks back tonight. At least you'll get an extra hour's sleep tonight.Some words of wisdom: 'Be who you are and say what you feel, because those that matter don't mind ... and those that mind don't matter.'Finally, another reader called to tell me the reason they hold elections in November. It's the best time to pick out a turkey.