More Snow, More Blessings

Last night it started again: the most amazing fluffy white crystals swarming my car. I think I've already mentioned how much I love snow. I was at work when I discovered it, opening the gym door to the swirling surprise. How beautiful it looked falling on the old blue Victorian that serves as our Parish Center building. The snow made the old house appear younger, the landscape surrounding it no longer seemed to be a parking lot, put instead a stately white property.


This morning the view from my bedroom window was so amazing. Snow is such a beautiful gift from heaven during such a dismal season. I spent the morning eating my breakfast with MLK Jr.'s voice bellowing in the background. There are so many blessings, and reasons for hope: a leisurely day off, beautiful weather, and the gift of family. Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Here's the view from my window. The picture doesn't really do it justice.

Snow Down

Let's talk about snow. I love it for many reasons. For me, it's all or nothing. Give me a blizzard. I like to shovel it. Yes, especially when it's newly packed, untrodden, smooth. As I scoop it up and toss it, I'm reminded of white icing on a stacked wedding cake, so pure and sweet. Snow is delicious.

Am I on a diet? No. I was just shoveling a path to my mailbox today and thinking how snow makes the landscape look so much more beautiful in the winter. Sticking to the frames of houses and naked trees, it illuminates the lines of every structure and plant. It covers the spots in my fence that need repair, the leaves I never raked, the barren garden. A real snowstorm is the only one worth while. It has the power to force life to a halt. Snow is a trillion white sticky notes falling from the sky on which God has written,

"Slow Down!"

I was born in a snow storm. When I was under the age of ten I remember high piles of new fallen snow in my yard. So much white that the road disappeared and my father would walk us down to the the hill near Robert Moses Causeway. We'd stamp down the street in boots and layered clothes pulling red plastic sleds. The sounds were muffled, and suburbia transformed into a magical white crystal forest.

Back home I'd lay my gloves and hat on the radiator and then sit on top of the pile. There's nothing like a seat of old-fashioned hot pipes. My feet were thawed, my cheeks ruddy from the cold. The only logical thing to do next was watch television and eat popcorn. Life is good.

Preparing for Natural Disasters, Other Than Myself

This one is for Romy.

Hi. I am baby Bigfoot. One of my favorite pastimes is making a stinky diaper in my secret hurricane shelter (the television cabinet). The Mayor of Lazytown recently sent a document home that outlines safety precautions that all families should take in case of an Act of God. Mommy says that does not mean a rainbow or free lunch, but a really bad storm. So I gathered up all the things I might need to survive for a while in that predicament.

First thing is my favorite farm animal, Hell Hound. If I get cold, I can just grab a fist full of her fur and pull. Next thing is my stuffed duck. He will be in charge of this battery powered radio that I found in the basement. Then, I will gather up some Cheerios that I stored in my Lego wagon last week for this type of emergency. Of course, I'll need a few sippy cups too, and that crazy plastic horn that sucks snooglies out of my nose. I'll need a wooden spoon from the kitchen drawer to make S.O.S. sounds. I can't forget one of daddy's dirty black socks that he wears when he plays dress-up businessman, so rescue workers can smell my location. Also, I'll need big brother's remote control dinosaur to scare away squirrels if a tree comes through the den wall. Finally, I'll need something really dangerous to chew on, like a rock from the driveway, or pocket change, just to pass the time without electricity. Okay. I'm ready. Bye.

-BaBy BiGfOot