(Don't) Let it Snow!

 It's cold outside.  The sky is typically gray.  It's winter time.  Humbug!

I wish I were the type of person who anxiously awaits the cold season.  Take that back, I'm glad that I wouldn't want to live in Alaska, or any place North for that matter.  I enjoy a fire, but I like the ones that actually put out heat, not the ones you have to crawl inches away from to feel any temperature change.  I do love a white, serene, spotless snow cover, but I hate the mud trampled dirty snow that sits in my back and front yard, leaving bare mud spots to slowly, but surely take over my entire yard all year around.  (We are definitely the scourge of the neighborhood when it comes to lawns!  If it's not that I'm sharing my cottonwood leaves with the neighboring 3 or 4 houses on each side, it's that I do grow a fine mud patch- while other yards are beautiful green.  Of course I understand that this is because I have 7 kids trampling around- no make that more, the neighbor kids are playing at my yard too. Hmmmm, their yard looks beautifully lush and green. . . ) 
Boy am I a humbug!  But, I really wouldn't trade any of my swamp like, snow trampled yard if it meant no kids.  Although I kind of doubt that my neighbors are sitting in their houses saying "Wow, it should would be nice to have kids livening up our yard and leave it looking like the tar pits of old!"  It's a unique look that is all ours- thus making it easy to find our house.  Bonus for holiday visitors!
Back to snow though.  I feel very vulnerable while driving in the snow.  Yes, I've had a number of accidents in the past that play a huge part into this, not to mention a lot of close calls.  But this year I have the Jane Austen Want to Be out on the roads at least 4 times a week by herself.  This is more than unnerving.  My mother hen instincts kick into red alert. 

Yet, as I sit by my window and humbug, I do have to say that I'm not looking at anything white- no snow, no mush, not even any ice,  To which I say THANK YOU LORD!  You see, The Jane Austen Want to Be's college class ended yesterday- which means she made it though the first semester of the half hour each way drive by herself without having to deal with snowy roads!  That was something we had prayed about, and ironically enough, there was a forecast for snow yesterday to come a 3:00- the same time her last class ended.  (It didn't come- but I'm okay with that.)  Never mind that her next class starts up on January 4th and that date is still in the winter season : P  (I'll deal with that worry later.  Just enjoying the blessed feeling for now!)

Other snow- yes, snow comes in forms other than wet precipitation. 

I was standing in the shower today, enjoying the hot water, when a pelt of "light snow" hit the door.  It always starts as a little rap of tiny 2 year old knuckles on the lower part of the door.  However, within minutes, I'm being bombarded with the "snowballs" of teen pounding.  Oh, it wouldn't be so bad if each knock was followed by "Mom, just wanted to tell you I love you!"  or "Mom, while you are showering, we've decided to clean the whole house!"  But no, sadly, these snowballs are always accompanied with "Mom, so and so is doing this.. . ."  or "Mom, make so and so stop. . . "   To which I always reply some non-audible nonsense that I later blame on the inability to understand them over the shower water.

Please DON'T let it snow!

It's funny, I attended Mass yesterday and the priest had everyone clap for the 2nd graders who just make their first reconciliation.  I heartily applauded that, but still snicker at various priests' comments that hearing 2nd graders' first confession like being pelted with popcorn.  I love this analogy!  I am going to make it a fond wish that all my confessions were just a sprinkling of popcorn (or a light rap of snowballs) and never to excel to a mound of snow drifts! 

My father made the comment last night that the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas rush by in such a hurry.  I responded that this was because he was old.  What I mean was that he is not awakened daily by The Boy and his 4 year old innocence that makes him ask "Is tomorrow Christmas Eve?!?"   I could give him an exact number count of how many days he has, but it wouldn't really matter- he lives in the here and now and tomorrow might as well be 10 years from now.  I did set up a Jessie Tree to show the countdown of the days to Christmas; I even have the advent wreath in a prominent place with only 2 candles on it as it's supposed to be.  But each morning I have to again face the snowballs of "Is it Christmas Eve yet?!" 

Forget it, I'd rather waken to that then to The Baby's greeting of "Mom, change my diaper!!" 

--That's more like waking up to a blizzard!!

As you are counting down the days to Christmas, I hope you are finding joy in the snow storms you are facing.  I pray that the Lord blesses you with the right tolerance to face all the precipitations of life.  And, if you happen to catch the Lord's ear, please whisper to Him to NOT send any snow my way!

Dodging snowballs while surviving myself,
Mary