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.

In the meadow we can build a snowman...or not!

 

On Friday we got the most beautiful snow! I'd been waiting for it and when it arrived, I was thrilled. I love seeing those fluffy, white flakes fall from the sky. I was thankful the weather predictions were on target, they usually aren't when it comes to winter weather here, but this time, they did good! 

We were ready. We'd purchased a dump truck load of split red and white oak the day before in anticipation of the cold weather. My husband I worked hard to get all the wood stacked and covered. We couldn't wait to build our first fire of the season in our new house! Having a blazing fire on a winter's day was so comforting and we'd enjoyed many over the past years at our other homes. 

We'd also pulled out the antique glass lanterns, purchased new lamp oil and wicks. Power outages are common in this area when there's snow or ice and we didn't want to be off guard. 

We had a charcoal grill, charcoal and lighter fluid at the ready, too. If the power failed we'd need to salvage as much food as we could from our fridge and freezer. We'd learned from past experience how devastating it could be to lose a freezer full of food. Thankfully the last time that happened we'd saved our receipt and were able to be reimbursed by our insurance company minus our deductible, of course. 

We went to bed knowing we'd done the best we could do and were surprised to find 5 inches of snow! We hadn't expected that much! 

The white blanket looked so lovely in the moonlight as we stood on the front porch enjoying the view. It was so quiet and still. We looked for wildlife, but didn't see any. Normally, we have a herd of deer that come through. They're so gentle as they softly pad across the yard. But nothing was out, not even the neighborhood feral cat, Tommy. We were worried about him and hadn't seen him in days although we had prepared a warm place for him to rest and had been providing food for him for months. All we could do was pray for his safety.

Today, we're listening to constant dripping as our beautiful snow is melting! I'd built a tiny snowman on the front porch on Saturday because I wanted to feel like a kid again but it was too cold. Instead of doing a  proper one in the yard, I opted to make one atop a small table on the porch. I only worked on it for about 10 minutes and my fingers were frozen! 

I don't know how I managed, as a kid, to stay out in the snow for hours and hours, running and playing...having snowball fights, sledding, building snowmen or making snow angels. I must have had thicker skin then but I know I didn't have the warm down coat like I do now or the sturdy warm boots and gloves.

Back then, we slipped our sock feet into plastic bread wrappers and then into our rain boots to help keep our feet dry. I remember coming back in with no feeling whatsoever in my feet and having to sit for hours barefoot in front of our radiant gas heater until they thawed out again. Those were the days! 

They're predicting another round of wintry weather for this coming weekend. I don't know if I want to go through more of it but as long as it's not ice, I'll be happy. Ice on power lines and trees typically causes outages here. We really need to get a generator. It's on my "to do" list but it hasn't been done yet. They're so expensive.

Snow, A Wig, and Remembering After My Breast Cancer Diagnosis

We were barely through with the first week of the New Year when the weather began to get ugly. Listening to weather reports, we were shocked to find we were in for the first snowfall of the year. In the South, we don’t get snow often so when weathermen say, “Get ready!” we do.

We bought a load of firewood, gathered oil lamps and oil, made sure we had some charcoal on hand in case our power went out and we needed a cooking source. Over the years, we’ve weathered several ice storms and even a blizzard or two. Though those aren’t regular occurrences in our area, they do come and when they do, people act crazy. They run to the store for bread and milk. They gas up their cars, just in case, and like us, many of them hunker down until the nasty, cold weather passes. But when it only snows here, it’s beautiful! Looking out the window at our yard covered in white is so peaceful and serene.

We weren’t expecting much snow, only a dusting, but instead we were surprised to get about 5 inches! Grabbing my coat, hat, gloves, and cell phone I practically shoved my husband outside to get a photo, but just as I was about to open the door, I realized my hair was a disheveled mess. I’d taken a shower the night before but had bed head hair and that wouldn’t make for a good photo. Rushing into my closet, I pulled down a pink box. Inside it was a beautiful, natural hair wig I’d purchased right after learning of my cancer diagnosis. From talking with other breast cancer survivors, I knew, with my stage and grade of cancer, I’d probably be going through chemotherapy and more than likely would lose my hair. I could hardly imagine what I’d look like without hair but knew it wouldn’t be pretty. So, I bought the wig. But I never used it.

After my initial diagnosis, I did a ton of research on treatment options – both traditional and non-traditional. I didn’t want to subject my body to more trauma than was necessary, so I spent a lot of time deciding what I was willing to do. After I’d made my decision, I shared it with my oncologist. He wasn’t very pleased with my decision, but that didn’t matter to me. I had to do what I thought best, after all, it was my body.

I shook out the wig and affixed it to the top of my head as best I could. Since I’d never worn it before, I wasn’t quite sure how to make it stay in place but kept it semi straight by plopping a knitted cap on top of it. My husband had already gone outside and was waiting for me. We’d planned a photo in front of our new house and the backdrop of the winter scene was perfect. Placing my cell phone into the selfie stick, I took several shots and then we were so cold, we ran back inside.

As I got ready to remove my winter attire, my husband said, “Is that a wig?” I laughed and replied in the affirmative. He asked where I got it and when, so I told him. He nodded and told me it looked nice.

I went into the bathroom to remove the wig and brush my real hair. Gently, I placed the wig back in its box for safekeeping and as I did, I was overcome with emotion. I was grateful I’d never needed the wig while undergoing treatment but knew several friends who’d opted for chemo and had either chosen to go bald or use head wraps. A couple of them had quite a collection of wigs and would wear them often, but some of them looked so fake I didn’t know how they did it.

Putting the wig box up on the shelf in my closet, I noticed my prostheses. I kept them in their storage boxes when I wasn’t using them. Another wave of emotion hit. I couldn’t help but remember when I’d first gone for a fitting for breast forms. I was utterly embarrassed and even a little ashamed. When I got home from that first appointment, I cried and cried. First, I was angry that breast cancer had entered my body and then, I mourned the loss of my breasts. They were part of me and though they’d never been large, I liked them. To me, they were my femininity.

It took a few minutes to collect myself and that’s when I realized how far I’d come since those first days, weeks, and months after diagnosis. I’d gone through a range of emotions and had finally come to a place of acceptance. Facing reality has taken a long time and if I’m honest, there are still some difficult days for me.

Breast cancer is not only a physical journey but an emotional one. My first thoughts, after hearing I had cancer, were those of fear and trepidation. I had no idea how things would go as I began treatment. I felt so unsure of my future. The next emotion was frustration as I did my best to make myself look normal. Without breasts, I often felt like a fake and a failure. I was so hard on myself thinking I should be stronger than I was. It was difficult to process all the ways cancer was changing my life, but over time, I think I’ve gotten to the point of being able to say I’ve finally made peace with the situation.

That wig will stay in my closet until I choose to bring it out again. It’s a beautiful one – a silvery gray shoulder length bob with bangs. It definitely is thicker than my thin hair and does make me look a few years younger than I actually do.

It might be nice to use the wig for special occasions. I should have worn it for my youngest daughter’s wedding last year, but I’d forgotten all about it. I’m sure I would have looked 100% better in the professional photos if I’d had it on, but they pictures turned out nice anyway.

Coping with emotions before, during, and after breast cancer are challenging. People deal with emotional turmoil in different ways. What I learned is that I had to take one emotion at a time and work through it. As I did, I realized many things about myself – that I was resilient, strong, determined, and eventually optimistic about my future.

Wearing the wig outside for the snow photo this morning was fun! None of the neighbors were out so they didn’t know I was wearing a wig under my hat. What I should have done is grab both the wig and the hat and thrown them into the air at the same time with an expression of glee on my face (just like Mary Tyler Moore used to do at the beginning of her television show -although she only threw a hat, not a wig.) And after tossing those into the air, I should have plopped down in the snow and made a snow angel. I haven’t done that since I was a kid, but I was afraid I’d managed to get down there I might not have been able to get back up. I’m a whole lot older now and my bones and joints don’t always want to do what I tell them to do.

A diagnosis of breast cancer is traumatic, challenging, frightening, and often unexpected. There’s no real way to prepare for a possible “what if” so I’d like to give one piece of advice as an 11-year survivor – give yourself grace. That’s the only way I’ve managed to get through each day. And it’s important to do things your way. If you want to buy a wig, do it! If you don’t, don’t. It’s okay. It really is okay.

The first Winter storm of the season

We knew a storm was coming. The weather forecasts had warned us, so we prepared the fireplace, pulled out the antique oil lamps, and made sure we had plenty of food. In our neck of the woods, you never know if a forecasted storm is going to be a big deal or not until stuff starts happening. Usually, when weathermen make a big deal of it, nothing happens and when they don't, everything goes awry. 

As I type this, snow is falling, and the temperatures are dropping. The birds are flitting from tree to tree, doing their best to find food and stay warm. We filled up the feeders yesterday with plenty of sunflower seed. We love our wildlife and try to help take care of them the best we can. 

If the snow continues to fall as the day goes on, we'll probably experience some freezing on powerlines and trees. We're praying our power stays on and no trees fall. We've had enough of falling trees from high winds and tornadoes in the past year to last a lifetime. Right now, in fact, there are 2 large pines leaning toward our house. They're resting on smaller trees and are basically what hunters call "widow makers" because of their precarious angle and potential for falling and killing someone. They're on our neighbor's property and yesterday, when we heard him outside with a chainsaw, we thought he was about to take them down, but that wasn't the case. It's challenging living in a rural area but we love it. 

We'll keep a close watch on the weather. If the roads freeze up and it's too dangerous to get out, hubby will stay home from work tomorrow. Our driveway is super steep and neither of us need to risk going down it. 

The weather, this year, has already been so unpredictable. We heard about a tsunami predicted to hit Hawaii yesterday and then today, as a result of the winter storm, several tornadoes hit the Ft. Meyers area. We're definitely in the end times! The Bible speaks of not being able to tell the seasons during the last days and I believe we're definitely seeing evidence of that now. 

I think I'm going to curl up with a good book now and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. Ya'll be safe! Catch ya on the flip side. 
 

A storm's a comin"

Our phones have been going off all day with weather alerts. A winter storm is coming and we're expecting some snow and possible ice. When this happens in the South, we take it seriously. People hit the stores early for essentials like toilet paper, milk, and cereal. I've never understood that, though. Why buy milk when there's a good possibility the power will go out? When ice storms hit our area, the power lines freeze up or limbs fall from pine trees taking them out and we have no power. Some have learned over the years to buy back up generators, but those are expensive. Most of us rely on wood burning fireplaces, candles, oil lamps, flashlights, and heavy clothing. In any event, it will be interesting to see what happens. Usually, when the weathermen make a big deal of it, nothing happens conversely, when they don't make a big deal of an approaching storm, we get slammed. 

I remember an extreme ice storm we had back in 1973. I was in high school. Our entire neighborhood was frozen solid. No one had power for days, but we were lucky. My parents were old school and we had gas burning furnaces in our house. When the power went out, Daddy just lit the pilot lights on the heaters and we were warm and toasty. Our freezer, which was full of food at the time, was a chest type deep freezer so it thawed food slowly as long as it stayed shut. When neighbors came calling, Mama invited them to stay. My siblings and I squished together and shared beds. Every nook and cranny of our little cinder block home was packed with people. They slept on every available surface including the sofa, the recliner, and even the floor. It was an interesting time. It seemed like we were having a big party although we weren't. Everyone pitched in and got along well, probably because we were all in the same boat and had no choice, but it was fun. 

A particular family friend, Pat Shaw, made it extra joyful. Pat had a way of making everything fun. She was the most jovial person I ever had the pleasure of knowing. No matter what the situation, Pat could find humor in it. Her laughter was infectious, and I loved how she made everything better. 

In the middle of the day, my siblings, friends, and I would wander the neighborhood. Before we were allowed to go out, we were cautioned about the possibility of downed power lines. We donned several layers of clothing including plastic bread wrappers over our socks inside our shoes to keep our feet dry and warm. Even with our heavy winter coats, hats, and gloves, we'd come home frostbitten. I can still remember the uncomfortable feeling of my fingers and toes as they began to thaw while sitting by the heater or having my digits plunged into a large bowl of lukewarm water.  

I remember the trees coated in a beautiful layer of sheer ice. Like a second skin, they glistened in sunlight. Icicles hung from every surface. The neighborhood was eerily quiet - almost a holy reverence. As we carefully trod across the packed snow, my brother, sister, and I could hear the crunching beneath our feet. The snow and ice melded together quickly and became slick. More than once, one of us would fall and while the others tried to help the fallen one up, our feet would slide out from under us and we'd all fall into a heap, laughing so hard we were afraid we'd wet our pants! 

Those were the days! So many wonderful memories came from that challenging time. It was almost a shame when the power company got the power back on. All the board games got packed up, and one by one our neighbors said their goodbyes as they went home. 

The empty freezer would slowly be refilled, but whenever we'd go out to the garage and see it, we'd be reminded of the odd concoctions my mother and Pat came up with and how they'd cooked outside on the grill.  

This year, if we get snowed or iced in, Phil and I will sit by the fire and enjoy a good book if the power goes out. We aren't expecting anything severe, but you never can tell. We've already had several good snows since we moved here almost 8 years ago and we've had 2 ice events. Thankfully, our power was only out a couple of days. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that we don't lose power this time. I love my electric blanket and although I have tons of quilts I could pile on the bed, it's so much nicer to turn up the dial and slide beneath toasty sheets. 

Job 38:22

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail?