Snow day number 2!

We got our first snow of the year on Friday January the 10th and the second one began on the 19th as we were traveling. Snow in Georgia is not a common occurrence so whenever it happens, we either go crazy or love it. I'm in the latter category. I love seeing a beautiful white blanket of snow. It always makes me feel so peaceful and serene. While I don't enjoy the cold that goes with it, I do enjoy the beauty of it. 

It has been extremely cold here for the past few days and we have needed to drip our water to keep our pipes from freezing. This is not something we normally do, but if you've ever had a busted water pipe, you take precautions to prevent it from happening again. 

As I was perusing social media today, I was surprised to find several of my friends scattered across the country who have gotten more snow than ever expected for their area. One in particular lives in Pensacola, Florida. I was surprised to see that she had gotten 6 in of snow overnight. Another friend in Alabama posted that she had gotten 8 inches. The icy and snowy weather doesn't normally hit the southeastern United States, particularly in these areas. Even my daughter in Texas reported snow! 

There's an old wives tale that says if snow stays on the ground more than 3 days, it will snow again. I don't know if that's true or not but I'm going to check that theory out this year. 

We did take time to get out and enjoy the snow for a few minutes, but the wind chill factor made it unbearably cold. As we were walking in the snow, kept thinking about the poor people in North Carolina who are living in tents during this cold weather and also about those who live on the streets. Along with those two concerns, were my concerns for feral animals. I hate to think of any person or animal suffering terribly in cold weather. 

I've never been a cold weather person. My favorite seasons are Spring and Fall. It would be nice if the temperature could run around 70° all year long but that's just wishful thinking. I've often wondered if there's a state that actually is blessed to have that cozy weather pattern. I would certainly like to live in a place like that! 

I imagine, in the next several weeks, daffodils will start pushing up but I may be wrong. The seasons have certainly changed since I was younger. They're very unpredictable now, but that's just a sign of the times. The Bible says in the last days we won't know the seasons. I'm finding that to be true. 

Looking out the window, I can see the sun light glinting off of the snow. It looks like thousands of little diamonds sparkling. I'm thankful I can see it, but I'm glad I'm not out in it. I don't do so well with cold now that I'm older. 

A warm cozy fire in the fireplace sounds good for tonight as well as a mug of hot chocolate filled to the brim with little marshmallows. 

Seasons come and go and I'm thankful for that. It would get mighty boring if it was always Winter. 

I thank God gave us Winter to allow us to take a season of rest, that's why the days are shorter. Before we know it, Spring will be here and the cycle of life renewing will continue. I'm looking forward to that.

I need a nose warmer!

 

This morning it's so cold I had trouble leaving the warmth of my bed. My electric blanket has kept me comfortable for the past several nights and I'm so thankful for it! 

On my way to the doctor's office, I noticed the temperature has dropped and the wind is getting stronger. I'm really wishing I had a nose warmer. 

Years ago, I made one for a dear friend. She always complained about her nose being cold. I'd never heard of one but wanted to help so I designed a crocheted one. She loved it and wore it all day long. It was so funny to walk into her office at work and see her with the bright yellow cap on her nose. 

I never knew they were a popular thing until a couple of days ago. I had remembered making the nose warmer for my friend, Margot, and wanted to make one for myself. Scouring the internet, I found many patterns. Now I would never be as bold as she was and wear one out in public, but I'd sure wear it inside the house. My feet, fingers, and toes stay constantly cold. 

They have all kinds of cute ones on Etsy and Pinterest (the photo in this post is an example) but if you're looking for a simple one, here's a free crochet pattern: 

Crochet nose warmer:

MATERIALS:
~size G hook
~worsted weight yarn in color of choice (I use red heart)

NOTE: I crochet in a spiral, you can join rounds if you prefer.

~ ch2 (or make magic ring if you prefer)
~ make 6 sc in 2nd chain from hook (or in magic ring)
~ 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 2 stitches (2 times)
~ 2 sc in first st, 2 sc in next st (2 times)
~ 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 3 st (2 times)
~ 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 7 st, 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st,
~ 1 sc in each stitch around (20 stitches)
~ 1 sc in each of next 3 st, 1 slip st in next st, ch 50, 1 sl st in next st, 1 sc in each of next 10 sts, 1 sl st in next st, ch 50, 1 sl in next st, 1 sc in each of next 5 sts, 1 sl st in next st

bind off and weave in end.

you've just made a basic nose warmer!

you can add things to it, I put a mustache on the bottom of mine so it looks like a Groucho or Mr. Potato Head nose :)

When you get old, cold gets really cold!

I used to wonder why cold weather seemed to bother my grandmother more than it did me. Now I understand! The older you get, the thinner your skin and the more cold temperatures seem to affect you. 

And when did winters shift from November though January to January through March? When I was younger, our weather was pretty predictable. Now we don't know from one day to the next what it's going to be. That makes dressing a challenge. 

My heart goes out to the homeless, especially on these super cold days. I can't even imagine having to live in a car or underneath a bridge. We've camped in extremely cold temperatures before and even with layers of clothing, down sleeping bags, and tiny camping heaters, it's been unbearable. Can you imagine having none of that to keep you warm? 

Oh, these days are so hard for so many. Prices on everything have risen. Basic necessities are out of sight and those with very limited resources are one paycheck away from being homeless. 

Thank the good Lord that we're doing okay. Yes, living solely on Social Security is a challenge, but growing up poor has helped me understand the value of things. I know how to pinch a penny until it bleeds! 

Please keep the homeless in your prayers. Yes, some of them are homeless by bad choices they've made, but others have found themselves in that situation due to uncontrollable circumstances. 

Never take anything for granted. If you're blessed with a nice cozy home right now, give thanks. If you have warm clothing, consider looking through your closets and drawers and donating the things you no longer need or use. 

I did this several days ago. I looked in our coat closet and realized both my husband and I had several winter coats. We only need one each, so the rest went to shelters. 

The Bible tells us to love one another. We can do that in practical ways by helping take care of each other's needs. Let's remember we're the hands and feet of Christ here on Earth. We can help those less fortunate. 

"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" 1 John 3:17

 

Silly Me

I've been wanting to put a fresh coat of paint on our front door for months, so I texted hubby the other day and asked him to stop by Lowe's and pick up a gallon of exterior paint for me. I'd done my research and had picked out a durable, weatherproof paint. I picked out the color and took a screenshot. I wanted to make sure he got the exact paint I wanted, and he did. He knows, after being married to me for almost 30 years, if there's something I decide to do, I'm going to do it no matter what. And so, this morning, I set out to paint. 

There was prep work to be done first. I taped down plastic to keep paint off the floor then gathered all my painting supplies, paint tray, rollers, brushes, stir stick, and of course paint. Then, I dragged the step ladder onto the front porch because I'm short and knew there was no way I'd reach the top of the door without it. I wasn't prepared for the cold weather. It was only 54 degrees outside and actually, this was the warmest day we'd had so far, but it was cold to me. I don't do cold. So, I came back inside, slipped on a polar fleece jacket and headed back out front. 

After opening the can of paint and stirring it well, I was ready to put on a thin first coat. Climbing up onto the step ladder, I prayed for God to protect me so I wouldn't fall. I knew there was no one around to help if I did and even though I had my trusty cell phone nearby, if I fell and knocked myself out, who would tell Siri to call 911? Thankfully, I didn't have to worry. I was very careful and managed to get the first coat on although my hands were freezing, and I was more than ready to come in after completing that task. 

While the paint was drying, and yes, it was going to take longer than normal because of the chilly weather, I had lunch and watched a movie on Netflix. I felt a little guilty for taking a "me" break, but figured I deserved it after all my hard work. 

Now it's time to lay down the second coat. The temperature has dropped a couple of degrees, but we've got snow coming in this weekend and I need to get another coat on today and one more tomorrow, so I'll have to brave the cold now or wait til Spring thaw to get it done. I'm impatient so that won't happen. 

Silly me! If I'd thought about it, I would have waited to paint in the Spring when the weather was nice and warm, and the paint would dry quickly but I didn't. I guess I'm still in full blown post cancer mode where I think I have to do everything with urgency just in case. One of these days, I'll manage to get past that, but for now, it is what it is. 

I'm thankful I'm still alive and I can do the things I want to do when I want to do them. Those little things mean a lot to me and even though others may think I'm just plain ridiculous, that's okay. I'm me and I'm happy about that. 

When the door is dry and I've hung my pretty wreath out front, our home will look warm and inviting. We may decide to stay here a while longer or maybe not. That remains to be seen! Until we decide, I'll be busy with little projects but hopefully, I'll give the next one a little more thought before beginning. 

Grey, grey, go away

These grey rainy days are getting to be a real drag! It's no wonder people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) when the winter days are cold and bleak. There's a certain type of heaviness that comes with these types of days, like a shroud of emotional baggage. It can get heavy very quickly and too much to bear especially when grief is involved. I'm still processing my mother's recent death and it's been hard.

Grief is a strange thing. It slides in unexpectedly and oozes out orifices without permission. Processing it takes time and energy that I just don't seem to want to expend right now. But there will come a time when I can no longer ignore it. Someone said once that grief demands to be felt but grief is not linear. One moment you may feel you've moved past it and the next minute, it's right in your face. Grief never says, "I’ve been here long enough, I think it’s time for me to leave.” No. Grief crowds the heart, eats up all your energy, and chronically imposes upon your peace. But grief isn't some evil force that's only there to cause pain, grief is escorting deeper feelings, truth about your life, what you value and what you need. Grief conveys how deeply you cared about someone. Grief is almost always painful to come degree. As Mark Nepo so beautifully puts it, "The pain was necessary to know the truth, but we don't have to keep the pain alive to keep the truth alive."

It's a New Day

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Seventh day of New Year. Outside, it's Winter. Barren trees stand. Frozen sentries waiting for first bud of Spring to appear. Tiny woodland creatures scurry searching for morsels. Doors and windows shield from cold. We wait. 

Winter is abhorred. Cold and I disagree. Cold hands, warm heart, if that be true, I win. 

Earlier, I rose. Sliding out of bed, I felt for glasses. Pulling on warmth, I dig into the Word. Hungry, I feast on manna. 

Quiet shattered. Doors open. Showers run. Coffee perks. They awake. It's a new day. 

Hubby sits. TV on. Preaching begins. Winter mornings dictate activities. Today is time for introspection and reflection. Sundays seem holier, but should never be. In Him, we live, and move and have our being...all days, all times. Always. A new day. A gift for the taking.