The Weatherman was RIGHT Part II

I had been concentrating on Photoshop downloading into my Iphone for about five weary hours. In my computerized stupor the phone rang startling me out of my numb concentration. Hmmm Harford County? Is there something I haven’t paid? I answered a cautious hello to a voice mail warning all Harford Residents of a severe winter storm quickly approaching. The anonymous angel of information gave practical advice…like NO cars on the street or they will be towed away. Be sure you have enough food and toilet paper (don’t people have more than a single roll of toilet paper at any given moment?) and reliable heat…..hmm wish we had some taco chips and salsa or a bag of Oreos. We will have to manage with open bags of lettuce, an over ripe avocado and speckling pear. It is the old pioneer spirit of making the best out of whatever is at hand. Hey at least we aren’t in a Conestoga wagon stuck on the Midwestern plains!

The storm was to make its appearance around midnight and possibly last until Sunday…whoa, canceling all those churches having their Christmas services they have planned for weeks, and the parishioners eager to wear their red sweaters with snowmen embroidered on them….But think about it for a moment, who isn’t to say it couldn’t be a more spiritual experience to just stay home, cocooned with billows of blustering snow, surrounded with loved ones.


Going to bed at midnight I left my blinds open to see the snow when it arrived. Around 3:00am I was positive I was hearing howling winds and bending trees, but it was only my cpap machine whistling up my nose!! But there was a shimmering brilliance in the room, like a hovering space craft, so I removed the pesky mask and peeked out the window…wowzers, the snow was deep and still falling.

I crept back in bed and thought back to the HUGE UTAH snows of my youth. Because my mom taught fifth grade at the school I attended, I would often have to walk home…a bit of a stretch for small legs. It was one such occasion; the snow had fallen relentlessly all day long. The dismissal bell rang and we all scrambled into scratchy wool leggings, wool coats, mine red and triangle scarves again of wool. Oops don’t forget the wool mittens. I don’t think mom even checked on me…but I started off. Once I got to State Street the snow was up to my hips and I slowly trudged home, boots full of snow, sopping wet clothes and a bit of an accelerated heart beat.

Grandma Rhoda lived next door to us and I managed to get to her home. A frozen stiff walking, talking snowgirl crept into her hallway. Quickly Grandma whisked me to the basement and stood me in front of the coal furnace where the heat made my wool clothing steam and smell like dead sheep. But the warmth penetrated once she stripped me of my soppy snow covered clothes. Slowly warming we went upstairs to the kitchen that ALWAYS smelled yummy. Sitting on a pretty white dish was a treat of homemade bread slathered with butter and doused with SUGAR! It was my Sugar Plum treat.


I took my camera to bed last night, well not literally to bed, but next to it, to start capturing the beauty of the day before the bulking, hulking snow removal trucks make mush of it. So enjoy.

What is a better way to start a snowy day than with a huge bowl of hot oatmeal, doused with brown sugar and floating in milk? We licked the bowls it was so  yummy.

A state of emergency has been called for part of Maryland, our part! Airports are closed. We have had only one snowplow come through, they are needed elsewhere. Late afternoon church was canceled. It has been a quiet beautiful day. Enough quiet time to decide to work on a few blogs.

It would appear that this is a record breaking snow. I remember well the snow in Gaithersburg on Christmas Day. Today rivals the beauty of that one.

When you wish upon a star makes no difference where you are.

May you all have a beautiful week prior to Christmas. Make time to feel the still calm voice.