Crystals and Fluff

OK. I definitely have an entirely new appreciation for snow.  I'll admit it; I've never fully appreciated that white dust that always seems to prevail in NW Ohio during the colder months.  I've never fully appreciated its fluffy ability to be swiped off my windshield, with just a swish of my brush, early in the dark hours of the morning, it's ability to melt relatively quickly whenever I throw salt on it, and it's ability to move-on-over whenever I get my mini Toro snow blower out (which BTW, hasn't worked even one time this season) and move it right along.  I haven't ever appreciated the fact that I can generally walk in snow without falling, wipe it off my coat in an instant, make and throw a decent snowball, and romp in it.  Goodness, we can even take pretty pictures of it's fluffiness. (Is that even a word?)

You know why I hadn't ever really appreciated snow before?  Because I haven't ever seen ice like I've seen it the past few days.  I mean ice is EVERYWHERE--and anything and everything is totally blanketed in it. And it's not just that flimsy, step on it and break it, throw some salt on it and melt it, kind of ice.  No, it's the thick, cannot be melted without a blow torch, if it fell on you, it would permanently maim you,  kind of ice.  It's the kind that makes you shiver just looking at it, and heaven forbid you have to walk on it.  You may as well just sit on it because you're gonna fall anyway.  At least, if you sit first, you'll know when you'll be getting wet, and it will be less painful.

Yes, there was an ice storm in NW Ohio two nights ago, and we awoke yesterday to a crystal landscape.  The freezing, diamond like sparkle was everywhere, and it continued to cascade down all morning and afternoon, until my car was just totally encased in the stuff.  Unfortunately, my van, which was parked in my driveway, in front of the garage door, wouldn't move.  It's perfectly brand new battery wasn't acting so perfect the night before last.  I had wanted to park my car in the garage, but I couldn't because the van was immovable.  So....alas car was totally covered in the stuff.

Around 4:00 pm, Bethany, Jonathan and I went outside to tackle our car windshields.  Hers, because she needed to drive somewhere (should I say, 'slide' somewhere-against my better judgement), and mine, because I didn't want to have to tackle it in the morning.  The fact that Jonathan and Bethany were so willing to assist my chiseling efforts definitely added to my desire to bundle up and hack away at the windshield.  Ah....but first we needed to open the door of each vehicle so that we could turn on the defrosters.  Ha. Fat chance.  I couldn't even find the keyhole.  I could hear my automatic opener working, but the door wasn't budging under the half inch of freezing, rock solid, ice.

So...out came the buckets of cool water. We thoroughly drenched the sides of the doors, around the openings and finally succeeded in opening the doors of both cars. Whew!  On went the defrosters.  Then Jonathan dumped more water on the side windows.  I figured we should let the defrosters work on the front and back windows.  Ha, if it were only that easy.  We hacked, sawed, chiseled, hammered, and scraped our way through layer after layer of ice.  I hadn't ever seen that much ice, let alone on my car.  My lawn was an ice rink--pure ice; the street and driveways  were the same.  When my dog, Domino, tried to run off, he slipped (served him right). Obviously, he didn't get very far. Not that it would have mattered; I wouldn't have been able to keep my two feet vertical long enough to follow him. He loves the snow, but the ice is quite another story.

There were icicles everywhere.  Pretty-yes.  Freezing cold-yes.  Annoying to the point that I was praying for summer-definitely.  Even the mailbox was frozen shut. Thank God it was a federal holiday and the mail man wouldn't be stopping by.  Even today, when I went to get my workout bag out of the trunk, I had to scrape more ice off. Then, when I slammed the trunk shut, the icy shards of weaponly went flying everywhere.

So...back to my total appreciation of snow.  Ah, pure, white, fluffy snow. Who knew I would ever be singing the praises of snow?  Surely, not me.  No, I sing the praises of white sand beaches in Maui, of Oceanic Caribbean cruises, of flip flops and swimsuits.  Not snow.  Funny how everything just needs a little perspective and how quickly we can change our minds about things.

Have you ever been in a fender bender and been totally exasperated?  But then, you see an overturned car on the side of the road, and think, "Thank God for the fender bender?" Went to purchase a much needed item and thought it was way too expensive, just to find it somewhere else for twice the price?  Suddenly, the first item seemed like a bargain?  That's how I felt about the snow and ice today.  I used to love the snow, but the older I get, I tend to disdain it.  I merely tolerate it.  Sure, it's pretty, but I don't enjoy driving in it, and more importantly, I don't want my children driving in it.

I work on a college campus, and goodness, have you seen how some college kids drive?  Take that and combine it with some slippery ice and snow. Then add some black ice.  Definitely a prescription for disaster.  Thus, I've said, 'nay' to snow for the past few years.  That is, until  yesterday.  All I could think of was, 'bring on the snow, baby.' 'Pack up this ice and bring on the snow.'  Over 28,000 people lost their power due to the ice on the power lines.  I prayed without ceasing yesterday that my power would stay on, and Praise God, it did.  A few people at work had to sleep in local hotels because their power was out.  One person had forgotten about his daughter's fishbowl.  Ahh....I think it's probably encased in ice, too.

We are supposed to get another 5-6" of snow in a day or so.  No problem.  As long as it's not ice.

Here's hoping that you are able to find a new appreciation for something that you have otherwise not appreciated.   Stay warm and be blessed!