The Snow Days of Winter
January 23, 2011
“Holy Icebergs, Batman, it’s cold outside!”
“Yes, Robin, you are correct. Cold and snowy to be exact. Look at my cape–frozen solid like a huge, white duck’s foot hanging around my neck! Not at all the fashion statement I want to be making to the world!”
“Maybe we should hold off on scaling the sides of buildings with our bat rope this time of year, Batman!”
“Excellent idea, young cohort! Let’s just use the stairs for awhile.”
The Dynamic Duo has joined us for this first Doodle of 2011 for no particular reason other than to comment on the excessively cold and snowy weather we’ve been experiencing this winter. I would suggest to them that they try putting some pants on over their tights until warmer temperatures make an appearance. And as in every area of life, we can all learn from even the oddest among us– we might try wearing tights under our pants for added warmth.
Let’s talk about Snow Days while we’re at it. We’ve had 14 so far this school year in Corbin. That’s one day shy of 3 weeks, in case there’s any question. Three weeks! And it’s only January 22! Bemoaning our fate is not going to change the facts, however. Summer break once again is going to be shorter than what we’re accustomed to enjoying. But hey, some of you are getting major time off during the polar bear days of winter (that’s the opposite of the dog days of summer, by the way). For those of you who are, here are some suggestions for spending your free time effectively:
1. Catch up on sleep
2. Catch up on household chores
3. Catch up on reading classic literature
4. Catch up on trimming toenails
5. Catch up on pruning house plants
6. Catch up on slowly going insane with bored children
Those who take care of children for a living (like a certain nanny by the name of Debbie) get to concentrate almost exclusively on number 6. Yippee!
The previous comment was not meant to suggest that I don’t enjoy my cushy job with children. I do, for the most part. I just enjoy it more when I’m not with said children nine to ten hours a day for days on end when the wind chill index is -20 and our grumpiness index is at -5000. Plus children need to be in school this time of year to keep their little whirring brains from freezing up into dense masses of uneducated inertia or over-heating into hyper blurs of menacing mayhem. Really, I’m only thinking of the children.
Because of the last two months of constant frostbite we’ve experienced, I am hereby declaring a moratorium on my annual prayers for a birthday blizzard. I’ve told God he doesn’t even have to consider this birthday gift to me this year. I’ll be beyond thrilled with a nice dry day, followed by weeks and weeks of sunshine, except for on Groundhog’s Day. Then we’ll need some cloud cover so that wimpy rodent won’t see his shadow and disappear for six more weeks. If we don’t have an early spring this year, it won’t be my fault. I’m doing my best to pray us all into warmth.
Lest you think that I’ve joined the masses of people who would prefer to never see a snowy day, let me just wipe that thought right out of your head. There’s nothing quite so peaceful and cleansing as a good wet snow–the kind that clings to tree branches, covers all the brown grass and litter, quiets all the outside noises, and heightens the colors of birds feeding at backyard feeders. Snow may complicate our lives a bit, but I think it’s worth a little inconvenience to experience such beauty and quietness every now and then. And when I take the time to let God speak to me in the midst of a kid-full blustery winter day, I hear him say, “Debbie, just look at what I can do with a little moisture and cold air! I’ve done the same thing for you by the blood of Jesus. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)
Whoa! We can be as clean and pure as fresh fallen snow! That’s something to sing and shout about. So here goes: Let it snow, Let It Snow, LET IT SNOW every day all year long! All over our grubby little sinful hearts, I mean, not quite so much on the ground.