I know it is only a few minutes into Christmas day - but MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I am sure everyone is busy over the next few days, as are we, but I will let you know that my gift from my (AND to my husband) is a trip to Niagara Falls. We very rarely buy items for each other at Christmas, mostly we choose to purchase 'something' for the family. Our choice this year was the trip.
So...have a wonderful week, and I will bring some pictures back with me.
(P.S. Andrea, your comments don't get lost, I am just very slow at getting to the computer recently. Don't worry, eventually it gets done.)
Friday, December 25, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Believe it or not, this northern part of the country has only had snow (real snow) for about two weeks now. At this time, when we walk up the path to our door, the snow wall is just over three feet deep. This amount of snow, however, came in a 36 hour period - all at once. It was a tremendous storm.
No one in this area is afraid of snow - it is a part of our life for at least 8 months of the year, usually. On the days of the storm, the emergency personnel were telling everyone to stay home. "Don't bother getting into your car, you can't get anywhere." They weren't kidding. I had worked the night shift and walked home in the snow. Thankfully, the plows had cleared the sidewalks most of the way home, but there were very large drifts to climb over at some points. Some people had ignored the warning to stay home (being good northerners!), and several cars were simply abandoned in the streets where they couldn't move any further. The greatest challenge for pedestrians was the oncoming street plows spraying a wall of snow over your head!
Without worry, but not without heavy breathing, I made it home. The walk that usually takes 20-25 minutes took almost 1 and 1/2 hours! An experience, for sure.
Later in the week, with a few more flurries adding to our snow pile, I had to run some errands in town. Fortunately, we have good snow tires on our car and have been manuevering in the snow covered streets/hills well. When I left that day, I noticed that our hill was quite slushy and messy and I slid to a stop at the bottom the hill. All I could think was, "There is no way I am getting back into my driveway." With a shrug of my shoulders I said an 'off-the-cuff' comment to the Lord, "It would nice if the plow and sander came through while I'm out."
Shopping completed, not a plow seen in the entire town, I decided to take a round-about approach to home. One of the hills that runs perpendicular to our hill is much more travelled, therefore the slush and snow is cleared quicker. I decided if I climbed this hill and travelled around the block, I could approach my turn with more acceleration and hopefully get up to the driveway. As I travelled up the main street hill, I passed my street and looked up the hill - slushy and messy, no plowing done. Hope was failing.
I came around the corner and headed down the street that would bring me back to my corner. My hopes of sneaking up the hill with some extra speed came crashing down - oncoming traffic and pedestrians were everywhere - meaning I would have to come to a dead stop before I took the turn and try to make the hill. Hopeless.
Then, truly a gift from God, ten feet before I reached my turn, a plow and sander drove up my hill and cleared the way. My mouth dropped open. You must realize that this makes absolutely no sense. Our road is generally the last to be cleared and sanded. There had been main streets that were still waiting to be cleared.
Just when I think the small stuff in my life isn't important enough to lay at the Lord's feet, He hears my 'off-the-cuff' desire. Then proves, again, that He is listening.
No one in this area is afraid of snow - it is a part of our life for at least 8 months of the year, usually. On the days of the storm, the emergency personnel were telling everyone to stay home. "Don't bother getting into your car, you can't get anywhere." They weren't kidding. I had worked the night shift and walked home in the snow. Thankfully, the plows had cleared the sidewalks most of the way home, but there were very large drifts to climb over at some points. Some people had ignored the warning to stay home (being good northerners!), and several cars were simply abandoned in the streets where they couldn't move any further. The greatest challenge for pedestrians was the oncoming street plows spraying a wall of snow over your head!
Without worry, but not without heavy breathing, I made it home. The walk that usually takes 20-25 minutes took almost 1 and 1/2 hours! An experience, for sure.
Later in the week, with a few more flurries adding to our snow pile, I had to run some errands in town. Fortunately, we have good snow tires on our car and have been manuevering in the snow covered streets/hills well. When I left that day, I noticed that our hill was quite slushy and messy and I slid to a stop at the bottom the hill. All I could think was, "There is no way I am getting back into my driveway." With a shrug of my shoulders I said an 'off-the-cuff' comment to the Lord, "It would nice if the plow and sander came through while I'm out."
Shopping completed, not a plow seen in the entire town, I decided to take a round-about approach to home. One of the hills that runs perpendicular to our hill is much more travelled, therefore the slush and snow is cleared quicker. I decided if I climbed this hill and travelled around the block, I could approach my turn with more acceleration and hopefully get up to the driveway. As I travelled up the main street hill, I passed my street and looked up the hill - slushy and messy, no plowing done. Hope was failing.
I came around the corner and headed down the street that would bring me back to my corner. My hopes of sneaking up the hill with some extra speed came crashing down - oncoming traffic and pedestrians were everywhere - meaning I would have to come to a dead stop before I took the turn and try to make the hill. Hopeless.
Then, truly a gift from God, ten feet before I reached my turn, a plow and sander drove up my hill and cleared the way. My mouth dropped open. You must realize that this makes absolutely no sense. Our road is generally the last to be cleared and sanded. There had been main streets that were still waiting to be cleared.
Just when I think the small stuff in my life isn't important enough to lay at the Lord's feet, He hears my 'off-the-cuff' desire. Then proves, again, that He is listening.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Upside Down Turtle
My computer is also my television. It is, obviously, in the living room of my home, and we have a bean bag chair that we place in front of the computer/TV stand when keyboarding. Neither my husband or I are technologically advanced enough to set the system up so that we can sit on the couch or lazyboy while 'computing'. I imagine the cost of the extra wiring is more than I am willing to pay, too.
So, I am having a hard time blogging lately. Not because there aren't events happening that I would like to share. No, I have several posts in my mind, actually. The problem is getting up from the computer when I'm done. Getting into the bean bag chair isn't difficult. Just plop down. However, when I am ready to get up, my increasing baby belly adds a new dimension to awkward.
Picture this: I have to roll to one side of the bean bag chair to get on all fours. Depending on which direction I roll, the coffee table or the fireplace provides support as I lift myself to a standing position. The dog thinks I'm playing a game with him.
Generally, it is more worth the effort when I can sit and write several posts all at once. Now that you know, be patient with me and my irregular posting. Of course, each time you do visit and read a new post, picture me rolling back to a standing position - it's okay to laugh, I do.
So, I am having a hard time blogging lately. Not because there aren't events happening that I would like to share. No, I have several posts in my mind, actually. The problem is getting up from the computer when I'm done. Getting into the bean bag chair isn't difficult. Just plop down. However, when I am ready to get up, my increasing baby belly adds a new dimension to awkward.
Picture this: I have to roll to one side of the bean bag chair to get on all fours. Depending on which direction I roll, the coffee table or the fireplace provides support as I lift myself to a standing position. The dog thinks I'm playing a game with him.
Generally, it is more worth the effort when I can sit and write several posts all at once. Now that you know, be patient with me and my irregular posting. Of course, each time you do visit and read a new post, picture me rolling back to a standing position - it's okay to laugh, I do.
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