The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow,
And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?
He'll sit in a barn and keep himself warm
and hide his head under his wing, poor thing.
16th century Nursery Rhyme
The jarring sound of the alarm clock seeps into my semi-conscious mind. Groaning, I reach up to slap it off and get into a stretching position that usually enables me to haul my protesting body out of bed. Suddenly, as my mind begins to function, I remember my wish from yesterday and I bound out of bed and sprint to the window like a small child. Pulling back the curtain reveals a thin blanket of white, barely covering the ground. With an appropriately disappointed face, I begin my morning rituals to ready myself for another day of work.
We had tried so hard yesterday at school to help the weatherman along. We tried supplementing the prevailing winds by doing snow-laced mental imagery along with our own form of snow dance which included pulling and tugging motions to bring the oncoming front across the Mississippi, where it could dump just enough wintry precipitation to get us a snow day. After all, we hadn’t had a single one all winter! Should I blame it on global warming, El Nino, or just the luck of the draw? Whatever the reason, the grandkids and I had attempted to brighten up the dreary days of January and to entice the snow down from the sky by decorating the house in a winter theme, but it was beginning to look like the only snowmen we were going to get were made of plaster or plastic!
So I was extra disappointed at the poor results I saw out of my window this morning.
But when I turned on the news as usual, while I ate my morning oatmeal, I was surprised and ecstatic to see our county listed in the school closings for the day. Who doesn’t LOVE working for the school system on days like this? Of course, the first thing I did was run into the bedroom where Jeff was getting ready for work and gloat a little (OK, a lot!). I had to call our daughter in Owensboro and sweetly rub it in to her also. Soon the grandkids were calling with excited voices and plans for enjoying the day! It’s amazing how such a simple thing as a snow day can bring such a thrill. Oh, the possibilities that await the lucky ones who receive a totally unexpected day off in the middle of the week!
Then, of course, I had to worry a little about poor Jeff driving to work in what was obviously a slippery mess, although hazardous driving conditions were not apparent from our vantage point. Watching the weatherman for clues as to why schools were out all over the area, we learned that some early mixed precipitation had made the roads icy before the light snow covered them. Also they were predicting additional snow by the afternoon, perhaps 2 – 4 inches. So if the snow gods are with us and we hold our tongues just right, tomorrow may be a snow day too!!!
But that’s tomorrow….for now, I wave goodbye to my honey, after admonishing him to drive carefully, and I return to the couch, curled up in my bathrobe, with my second cup of coffee to enjoy the decadent pleasure that only a snow day can bring!
Then, of course, I had to worry a little about poor Jeff driving to work in what was obviously a slippery mess, although hazardous driving conditions were not apparent from our vantage point. Watching the weatherman for clues as to why schools were out all over the area, we learned that some early mixed precipitation had made the roads icy before the light snow covered them. Also they were predicting additional snow by the afternoon, perhaps 2 – 4 inches. So if the snow gods are with us and we hold our tongues just right, tomorrow may be a snow day too!!!
But that’s tomorrow….for now, I wave goodbye to my honey, after admonishing him to drive carefully, and I return to the couch, curled up in my bathrobe, with my second cup of coffee to enjoy the decadent pleasure that only a snow day can bring!
