So, Greg did in fact get to stay home.  But the poor guy has spent most of his day dealing with snow-removal, and an uncooperative snowblower.  Oh, bother.

Here’s a shot of the snow just outside our patio door. 

And the same angles as from my other post, only now it’s not just a slushy line down the river. 

 Now, I realize I have already written a post entitled, First Snow.  BUT….

 There is a difference.  A BIG difference. 

 First snows are pretty much guaranteed to be gone by lunch, if not mid-morning.  First snows are ushered away by sunshine.  First snows are pretty.  First snows come in with a slightly wimpy wind.  Maybe some freezing rain or ice pellets mixed in.  They often end with just plain rain.  There is next to no accumulation.  First snows are enough to send Mom scrambling for mitts and hats and snow pants, and coats, and oh dear….where did I put those boots?….and to draw the children outdoors at 7:30 a.m., to make a snowman; after which said children return indoors, not necessarily because they are cold.  Just soaked to the skin.  First snows hardly ever require shoveling.  Instead they serve as a reminder - kind of like the snooze feature on your alarm clock - that next time might not be quite so easy.  So get the shovels ready.  Change your tires.  Service the snowblower.  Oh yeah, and Mom?  Dig out the long-johns!

 So far this year, we’ve had a few of these kinds of snowfalls.  Oftentimes, the radio announcers will be giving a very foreboding-sounding weather report, and it adds up to nothing except disappointment for the schoolchildren, and relief and glee for the parents.

 This is not one of those snowfalls.  This is our first snowSTORM.  It has been snowing since noon, and no signs of letting up.  This is not a wimpy wind.  Nor are the flakes softly falling here and there.  In fact, the snowflakes are mostly moving horizontally.  It will not be gone by tomorrow noon, nor even tomorrow night, unless by some miracle the temperature soars.  We only hope that it will continue long enough that hubby has the day, or at least part of it, off tomorrow.  When school is cancelled, he doesn’t drive.  However, he is back to serving two different school districts, which means sometimes one cancels, and the other doesn’t. 

 So I have to now resign myself to the fact that winter is here.  There is no more denial to be had.  Forget that the calendar still says it’s fall.  It faces me square in the eyes every morning as I walk out of my bedroom.  The ducks are making their last visits to our lawn.  The river is often skimmed over with ice in the morning now.  Little puddles of water in the driveway have become white air-filled patches.  I can see my breath, and when I run out to start the truck, my nose tingles from the cold. 

 Winter is my least favourite season.  (Have I purchance already mentioned that?)  Ah, that’s mild.  I hate winter!!!  I haven’t always.  But in the last decade or so, any enjoyment I’ve found in the season has been replaced by a desperate longing for warmth.  A kind of pathetic hope for the spring, and oh the beautiful summer!, that will indeed come, but seems like an impossible dream at present.  The far-off, distant idea of a sunnier time, full of flowers, and happy bees, and sparkling water….

 Yeah, I know.  I’m getting dramatic.  ANYWAY.  If you think of me from now until approximately mid-April, pray that I may withstand the fiery darts the pierce through the deep recesses of my heart as Winter and I battle it out for survival.  (Oh great.  Here’s that drama again!)

 In reality, I do struggle in winter.  So seriously, do say a prayer for me once in a while.  And I will endeavor to catch some sunshine whenever possible (I love me a nap in the sunshine on my bed when it’s -20 outside.), and make an honest attempt to find pleasure in the cold pleasant offerings of winter.

Flannel jammies, hot chocolate, roaring fires (well, hopefully soon we’ll have a simulated roaring fire), these are all things that make winter easier.  Skating, sliding, snowmobiling…outdoor fun. 

God, please help me to return to the childhood enjoyment of winter.  Of sliding down the hill on a toboggan while my puppy tries to keep up.  Of relearning how to balance on the blades of my abandoned skates.  Of snowball fights, and snowmen, and snow forts.  Where coming into a warm home, with comforting music, comfortable jammies, and a cozy blanket are delightful.  Where I can see the beauty and the joy in this season of dormancy and resting.  Preparing for another year of growth.  Help me to embrace the winters in my life, both in season and in spirit, with grace, and even with humour.

And until I’m able to find it in my heart to welcome winter, I have but one question:

Why the heck was Frosty so jolly?

Today we have sunshine again.  And this.

You are at the right place.  I’m just playing around.  There are a few Christmas themes, and I can’t decide which I like best.