Ode to Snowboots

When 4 feet of snow in a month doth fall,
Snowboots step in to answer the call.
Like a mailman who delivers whether snow, sleet or ice,
Warm feet in Snowboots makes outside rather nice.

3-year-old Sami loves to play outside
Or get in the car and go for a ride.
Before Snowboots, these activities were, at best
Never done, or done quickly, and without any zest.

Now with Snowboots, I fear, that Samantha will call
"Mommy, outside please!" and then I will fall
Into behavior that proves I don't hate winter at all:
Snowball making, snow raking, and climbing snow mountains, LOL!

BRRRRRrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

Temperature: 1 degree
Wind Chill: - 14 degrees
Heater: Not Working

Change of Attitude

Dusk at 4:11 pm, and the snow is falling hard, but strangely slow. The mix of evergreen and leafless trees outside my window give varying surfaces on which the snow accumulates: harsh branches with long, thin lines of white tracing the outline of each dark finger, and feathery green coated with a thick layer of powdered sugar. It's warm inside, I have nowhere to go, and suddenly the snow becomes...a thing of beauty.

Defense of LDS faith in NY Daily News by Ken Jennings. Click Here

Wishful Thinking

Laguna Beach in June, rather than New Hampshire in December during the 4th major snowstorm in 10 days....

Things I love about Winter in New Hampshire
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Pre-Nor'Easter Insanity

I went to the grocery store Saturday before the big storm hit. I loathe to go to the store the day before a storm hits -- it looks like the pictures of Florida grocery and hardware stores before a hurricane: devoid of basic staples and practically sold out of everything else. But, Paul had been out of town until late Friday night, so I had no choice. My goal: get to the store before all the bottled water is gone. No, seriously. (Don't worry, I did).

I had an experience I have never had at a grocery store before: Not only did I have to wait in a parking aisle with my blinker on to find a space, but when I left someone started waiting for my spot as I STARTED unloading my groceries into my car. This type of parking nonsense is commonplace at a mall in December in Southern California, but I have never had it happen at a grocery store in New Hampshire.

Inside the store, the insanity continued. I have noticed a few trends in people's shopping carts at times like this: they are usually full of frozen food and beer. Come on, people! If you lose power, you lose the freezer in which to keep the food, and the microwave in which to prepare it!! Hello!!! BUY CANNNED!!!

And the beer? Well, I suppose if people have to stay indoors for a day or so, they think they should get totally wasted. There is more than one way to keep warm, but personally, I'll stick to my emergency propane heater.