TOO GOOD TO STAY CLEAR

People who know me, know I would love to live in a tropical place where snow doesn't exist. Some try to get me to recognize the beauty of snow flakes softly floating to the ground. They point out how lovely and "pristine" the dead winter landscape becomes after a fresh snowfall.

They can't seem to grasp the idea of my dread of snow. They think as a native New Englander, I should be used to it by now. I should appreciate the change of weather with each season! I should accept how lucky I am to live where tornadoes and earthquakes are rare, and the summers are wonderfully comfortable.

Similar romantic thoughts of snow, were mine as a child. At night, I often "prayed"  for snowstorms, so school would be canceled the next day. My favorite seasons used to be in this order :

1. Fall
2. Winter
3. Summer
4. Spring

Now, the list is in this order:

1. Summer
2. Summer
3. Spring
4. Fall

Because I live in New England, I do appreciate that unless we are hit with a huge blizzard of a Nor' Easter variety, life doesn't come to a standstill, as it seems to when some parts of the country get as little as an inch!  If the falling snow melts as it hits the roads, I am grateful and relieved.

Many of the people, who try to convince me I'm wrong about snow, do not have to deal with it. They might have to drive in it, which is the least of my snow issues as New England's main roads are maintained very well. But, I doubt they have to shovel the snow, some don't even have to brush and scrape off their cars! I have to do both.

I have been told, by my husband and others, to let him do all the shoveling. As it is, he has to plow our home, his business, my mother's home, and any relative's home we are watching while they are away.

I am not a weak, feeble old woman, and nor do I want to be. I can shovel more shit than many men half my age. I do my part and won't stop by using the excuse of pretending I'm a 'helpless female'. That would make me a lying hypocrite.

Shoveling becomes the most exercise I might get, if there is snow. One of my main reasons for hating snow is the roads might be clear enough for driving, but my daily walks suffer, as the snow banks, drifts and ice patches make it dangerous.

There is also the "cold" factor. I have reached an age where the cold can seep into my bones and make them ache for summer. Having said that, this winter has been unseasonably warm, with very few days of frigid temps. People haven't heard me complain at all yet, this winter...

Until today, there has been no snow, since that early, freak snowstorm around Halloween. Because we've had quite a few sunny days and sidewalks have been clear and dry, I've been able to take walks, and get lots of exercise. This has made the cold bearable, and also kept me from my worst fear of winter; SAD.

Early this morning, I got up to put on the coffee, while it was still dark, so I didn't notice the snow falling. By the time I brought our coffee back to bed, I saw it. Since "this year is different", I had my husband turn off the TV, where the weather person was shrilly listing the accumulations in inches (but was also forecasting that it will warm up!).

I pulled up the shade, and we watched the snow fall.  We quietly sipped coffee in our cushy bed. While I was watching, I did acknowledge the natural beauty of the flurries. I appreciated our warm house, and the positive forecast of warmer temps.