Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Snow Days

First of all, let me say I feel your pain if you're dealing with snow, ice or anything in between. This has been a very rough winter. I've lived most of my life with winters, both mild and rough, and understand the challenges. Back to back storms get old fast.

Having said that, I'm jealous of one thing. Snow days. Those days when you have a full day scheduled and then suddenly everything is canceled. The streets are quiet because nothing is running and cars are staying inside. (Let's assume you don't have to be anywhere important) The world is hushed and the snow falling is pretty as a picture. It's a wonderful day to bake, or sew or read.

Assuming you have power. I know, a lot of assumptions.

The ideal snow day has soup simmering on the stove, and early nightfall. Plenty of warm heat and kids who aren't deadly bored and fighting with each other. Obligations that must wait.

The best thing about snow days is that they are unexpected.

Here in California, I have to declare my own snow days. That's when I put away the to-do list and pull out the I Want To list. I want to read this long book without interruption. I want to try this recipe. I want to work on the king quilt for Joey. I want to stay in my pajamas all day.

Tell me about your snow day, planned or unplanned. Do anything fun?

7 comments:

Linda O. Johnston said...

I grew up in Pittsburgh and only got one snow day the whole time I was in school, Terri. In those days we had a ski tow in our backyard. Too bad I never learned to ski!

Dru said...

We get snow days and I love it becasue I can read all day.

Terri Thayer said...

Linda, I spent the first 12 years in Niagara Falls and I don't remember snow days either. Of course a lot of us walked to school and the nuns were right next door...

Dru, I envy you those snow days but not the snowy days when you have to get to work no matter what.

Monica Ferris said...

I don't remember many snow days, either, from growing up in Milwaukee. But your evocative description is lovely. What we suffer from up here in Minneapolis is the cold. It's one degree this morning! It may get up to nine if we're lucky.

Becky Levine said...

I think my snow day would be about reading.Somehow, magically, the power to the computers would be out, but all light-bulbs would work (I'm not a candle fan!). There'd be a fire in the wood-burning stove, I could eat all the hot-chocolate with marshmallows I wanted and dip cookies into it all day, without having a sugar crash or imbibing any calories. And I'd have a book that would be as good and dive-into-able as The Hobbit the first time through. :)

Terri Thayer said...

Cold makes it tough to go outside, too, Monica. Nothing like having your nose hairs freeze on contact.

Becky, you've added another dimension. Calorie-free, guilt-free snow days. Awesome. Bring on the marshmallows.

Betty Hechtman said...

When the storm hit Chicago in '67 and we got 23 inches of snow, I think the whole city got a snow day.

During my trip there last week, though I missed the blizzard, my whole trip there was your version of a snow day, Terri. It was wonderful to be able to just give myself totally over to what I was working on.