This year we’ve had some real winter weather, and it’s not even Christmas yet! So many wintery things have been happening:
- We had a snowstorm that prevented local school busses from running…and, yes, our kids still had to do schoolwork.
- Wind chills have reached -39.
- On the coldest morning, our metal front door had shrunk so much you could almost see outside through the huge crack, and the wind howled in.
- Our church service was cancelled last Sunday morning.
- We’ve shoveled the driveway more this winter than all of last winter.
- We’re using both the furnace and the woodstove to keep the house warm, and we also need to turn on an electric space heater in our study.
- We have had two mini-floods in the basement due to cold-weather water-softener issues–fixed now, I hope.
- Our teens’ catechism classes were cancelled twice.
- Almost every time I drive I tell my husband how thankful I am for the seat-warmer he gave me last year.
- The chickens’ heat lamp broke on the coldest night and now we know how to deal with frozen eggs.
- Yesterday the rooster huddled close to the fixed heat lamp rather than attacking when the girls collected the eggs.
- We need to check the pantry for frost.
- Today our girls went sledding down our own hill with a group of new friends.
- The fireplace is deliciously warm and inviting.
- Yesterday, we were driving down a winding road in the snow, like being in a living Christmas card, complete with sparkles.
Yes, it’s cold, and there are numerous challenges, but real winter weather is a blessing in many ways.