S-no-w Meditation

What a week.

When I was a kid, getting a big snow was the best thing that could ever happen. You would hover around the tv (since we just had one), awaiting the news, and if it flashed "PG Cty Schools Closed" my brothers and I would run around the room, dancing and rejoicing. We would be outside all day...even my dad would come out. We'd play football with the neighbors (I always think of Dave when it snows) We'd have snowball fights... we didn't live on a main city street so lots of times all of our neighbors would get together and shovel the whole street. It was a party!

When I had kids myself, snow became a love-hate thing. I loved taking the kids sledding, we would go up to the water tower hill which is right in back of our house. The hill is infamous for great sledding... and great accidents since it's so steep and there's a fence alongside it that has created many a scar on our legs going under it. It was GREAT! We would be there all day, late into the night, kids would make big bumps so you could fly into the air, making sure the chiropractors stayed in constant business.

Our house was always kid central, so I made gallons of hot chocolate, had the dryer constantly going, had a collection of scarfs, boots, gloves and plastic bags to put over the kids poor frozen feet. Sometimes it made me crazy. Kids tend to be in and out... snow gets everywhere... and as much as you love it, schools being closed for days at a time eventually leads to massive boredom, especially once the city started plowing the beloved snow hill. Boy, did I give them a piece of my mind over that! What I had left...

When I was a teacher, I loved snow days-- the more the better! I worked at a private school so we didn't have to worry about making them up so we prayed for them, wore our pajamas backwards, did the 3 turn snow dance... but it never seemed to snow then.

Snow is a different thing round here now. My kids are grown. There's no one to sled with. I can't get out cause I'm reluctant to drive in it-- plus, I think those folks out there driving are nuts, I will not add to the chaos. My husband is a snow geek, but he prefers to watch the snow and hope for huge totals, he doesn't like to mess up the snow so he won't go outside to play and make snowmen. I've kinda been at loose ends. The federal govt. has been closed all week, Starbucks hasn't really been open, the gym I work for is closed, I've been able to do some of my classes at CCPC but yesterday I finally had to call "Uncle!!!!!!!" and cancel. So we've all been home for days.

I feel like my brain is on whiteout like the snow. I can't really think a whole thought. I look outside and am shocked-- is this my backyard? Where's my car? Will we ever see our fish again? I started out making potato soup and working on PowerPoint's and being very productive and now I just wander around... checking facebook... playing stupid video games...and dreaming of the beach.. in July.

We keep trying to go for walks, but it's downright dangerous out there. You have to walk on the road... where the 4WDer's are going 50mph down Belair Drive... cause they think they can. Yesterday in the height of the wind storm I had to get out so I bundled up with everything I had, Barry joined me with Suki and we ended up walking around the back of the church to get away from the traffic. You ever try to walk in 3 feet of snow? It's downright comical... especially with a tiny dog. It was also crazy with the wind whipping around, branches falling, snow pelting you in the face and in your eyes. It was the best part of the snow for me-- finally felt like I was alive LOL.

So yeah, we got a historic snow. It's awesome. Now, go away!!!