Blizzard Schmizzard!

Yes...a lot of that white fluffy stuff fell accompanied by a double dose of wind and a few claps of thunder. It was a good night to stay hunkered down with a flashlight in hand, just in case, and extra blankets piled on the bed. It made me feel incredibly thankful for the blessings that most of us probably take for granted. My mind drifts back to when I was a kid living in Pennsylvania. We lived way out in the country at the end of a very long lane and our neighbors were not "next door". In those days a "blizzard" was not an unusual occurrence. It was very common for our lane to drift so that the only way in or out was to walk. I can remember bundling up, hardly able to move and loading my school supplies and books on a sled and pulling it down to the end of the lane. It was always my goal to get there before the school bus arrived so as not to make a spectacle of myself climbing up and over the large mountains of snow left by the plows. On the days that school was cancelled I would usually grab a good book such as James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small", or Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women", sit on a stool at the foot of my mom as she sat at her ancient Singer sewing machine, you know the old black ones with a gold medallion on the front, in the big old country kitchen. She would be sewing clothes for "us girls" as well as my family of dolls or perhaps a wild bow-tie for my teenage brother. The sound of the machine whirring over the fabric and little stitches magically appearing in a trail behind the needle will forever remind me of my dear mother and all the hours she spent laboring, creating the most wonderful treasures and clothing that brought many a smile to our faces. Her meticulous craftsmanship inspired me to follow in her footsteps although I can say that I have not nearly equaled the time she spent at her machine. I could go on about my "snowy" recollections but will save that for another time. So as you sit with your cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate in hand looking out over the white expanse of snow, hopefully some sweet memories of your childhood are stirring to keep you warm.