Monday, January 4, 2016

Waiting for Snow

I’ve been waiting for snow. Temperatures in my area have been unseasonably warm. I don’t like it. It’s not how winter is supposed to feel.

Sure, I know people disagree with me.

“Snow is terrible.”

“I hate shoveling.”

“Driving in this slop sucks.”

“I’m sick of being stuck inside.”

That last one always gets me. Stuck inside? What do you mean? Slap on some boots and a well-insulated jacket and you’re good to go. Explore. Make tracks in the fresh snow. Walk a dog. Go sledding. Have a snowball fight. Get your cardio in while shoveling. I’m convinced if you shovel to techno dance music, it doesn’t seem like shoveling at all. Hell, it’s better than running on a treadmill inside like a freaking hamster in a wheel. Crisp, fresh air invigorates your lungs while your arm, back, abs, and leg muscles get one heck of a workout. Plus if you’re late to work, you’ve got an excuse that no one frowns upon.

“Sorry, the weather held me up. Couldn’t get out of my driveway.”

“No problem. Happened to all of us today. I made some hot cocoa. It’s in the break room. Have some and warm up before you start working.”

See? Snow is wonderful. It connects people.

Something about snow also soothes a germaphobe like me. Seeing a pristine blanket of white covering the land makes me think all the infections swirling around town have been conquered. It may not be a scientific belief, but it seems true to me.

Nighttime snow is my absolute favorite. Snowflakes captured in the glow of streetlights shimmer and twinkle as if they possess magic. Have you ever stopped to watch them? Time stands still. You don’t feel cold. You don’t feel rushed. You don’t feel stressed. The quiet hush soothes. It’s like being in a snow globe where a single, tranquil moment has the possibility to be eternal. 

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Yeah, so. I’m waiting for snow. I’ve got my cocoa ready.

If you’re waiting too, try the fifth book in my Maple Leaf Series, More Than Cocoa. It’ll warm you up even if it’s cold outside.




What is winter like where you are?

Toodles,
Chris

9 comments:

Margo Hoornstra said...

Exactly my relationship with snow, Chris. Thanks for verbalizing so eloquently. It was a long time coming, but it's here now to walk around in and enjoy!

Leah St. James said...

Yeah...sorry...I'm in the "snow is a four-letter word" category. Happened after too many winters of digging out in the northeast. When we had to bury my father-in-law in the middle of a historic blizzard several years ago (picture me and my two sons, dressed in funeral black, pushing our little Saturn up a hill in a foot of snow to get to the service), we called it quits and headed south.

Still, I agree there's fun to be had, and if you're stuck in it, you might as well make the best of it. And I agree that shoveling the white "stuff" is better than 30 boring minutes on a treadmill. Thanks for the reminder that it's not ALL bad. :-)

Christine DePetrillo said...

And you're not going to believe this, BUT it's snowing here now! Nothing significant. Just a shower, but Mother Nature heard me and deemed me worthy. Yes! Too bad I have to go to work.

Brenda Whiteside said...

I miss the snow some times. We lived in MN for nearly 20 years. I do live close enough now to snow country I can get a fix now and then. And we even occasionally get snow. It's raining today but you make me wish it was snowing.

Jannine Gallant said...

You had it all last year, and we had nothing! This year our snow depth is actually a little over 100% of normal in the Sierras. Mother Nature apparently decided to take pity on drought stricken California, thank heavens! My dog is thrilled with our snowshoeing paradise. My husband and girls have been skiing all break. Hoping you get hit hard, too!

Rolynn Anderson said...

I lived in Seattle for 35 years...rain in Seattle meant snow in the Cascades and skiing and the slopes were so close. Snow was a positive. But what snow does to traffic? A negative when I lived in Minnesota for five years. To sit inside and look at it or walk/cross-country ski in it...both wonderful. Enjoy, those of you with snow...catch it at that fluffy stage!

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

If we need a heavy coat, we stay home. We do get one or two snows a year. Not much...usually. Our winters in southern VA are mild.

Diane Burton said...

I understand they got snow back home (Mich.), but we're in Arizona where it's rainy & 54. In the 3 weeks we've been here, we've enjoyed warm, sunny weather. I could get used to winter like this (LOL) compared to snow over our mailbox at the curb.

Alicia Dean said...

Absolutely agree, 100 percent, Chris! I love snow and here in Oklahoma, we don't get enough to suit me. I also love rainy drizzly weather. Sunlight actually annoys me. :) Great post!