Winter Wonderland

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. Albert Camus

The weather forecasters have been warning us for a week that a potentially BIG snowstorm was headed our way. Now it’s here. It started just after I woke up this morning and will continue until noon tomorrow, bringing us as much as two feet of snow. Not my idea of a good time.

I ran all my errands yesterday in anticipation of having to stay home today. I filled my car with gas, stocked up on caffeine-free diet coke and bought walnuts so I could make some Christmas goodies during the blizzard. I also stopped at the library to pick up the DaVinci Code movie, which will come in handy while the networks show an endless succession of reruns. There’s a stack of firewood in the garage in case my power goes off and my cell phone and laptop are charged. My breakfast with Kathy and Jane will have to wait until another day. Today might be a good day to reread Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories of winters on the plains during the pioneer days when they had to tie a rope around themselves tethered to the house to avoid getting lost on the way to the barn. That should make me count my blessings.

One of the great things about working at home is that you never have to fight rush hour traffic; the flip side of that is never getting a snow day. I have papers to grade, classes to prepare, and a workbook to write. I am also working on a short story about, ironically, being snowbound at Christmas.

None of this may get done, of course, because like Anne Morrow Lindbergh, I may be part bear. As she said, “the instinct to be half asleep all winter is so strong in me.”

Things will clear up by Friday, although the snow is likely to stick around long enough to bring us an unusual white Christmas. Meanwhile, I’ll settle in with my cats, light a candle and pray that everybody makes it home safe tonight.

©2006 Dixie Darr. All rights reserved