Ok so call me crazy...

But I still like snow.  I was still a bit on the agnostic side about this snowstorm that was allegedly heading our way this morning. When I went to bed last night, it was still raining.  Woke up after hitting the snooze button only a couple of times because I was certain it would all be a big hoax and I'd have court this morning.  Much to my surprise, the Merlin Courts website said that all the courthouses in Merlin  - except for two holdouts on the Eastern Shore (and we know how ornery Caroline and Dorchester Counties can be) were closed! Of course, as the morning progressed, it became more and more apparent that this was a good call.  I'm not complaining.  I love looking at the snow, don't mind occasionally shoveling it, but I detest driving in it.  

John got himself a nice warm, comfy hotel room where he works - one of the perks of working for one of nation's best hotel corporations! Betsy is staying here and Robyn is all but finished with this semester's work, so she's here, too.  Betsy went in to work - she manages a large chain supermarket and there is no rest for them on days like this.  Luckily, she got a start before the snow began in earnest.  How she will get home is anybody's guess.  If it gets too bad, perhaps she can join her Dad.

I have to laugh.  Remember when you were in school and it was always a pain to get up in the morning? (Well, it was for me anyway.) But Saturday mornings, you were up at the crack of dawn? Today was one of those days.  You'd think with the snow drifting around us, I'd just roll over and get way down under the covers. Nope.  I got out the shovel.  Got the parking pad and the front walk shoveled.  And a FAT lot of good that did me, too:

I was very careful shoveling.  First, Robyn had gone back to sleep, and though our neighbors were about, I didn't relish asking one of them to pick my large carcass off the ground. I also cannot afford to fall and break anything. Too much to do.  A friend of one of our daughters fell and broke his leg in two places just stepping outside briefly Tuesday evening. Poor guy has to have surgery.  He's not one to sit around in the house and this must be driving him nuts, to say nothing of the pain. The repercussions in terms of time off down to the simple things of taking care of oneself are too numerous to imagine. One does what one has to, but why chance it?

So in the interim, I checked emails, answered some phone calls, read a few hundred blogs I enjoy and got my calendar up to date. I keep telling myself the snow will all be melted by tomorrow and we will be swimming to our cars to get to work - or worse, being sucked down by the mud in the manner of those strange Scottish Moors. (I probably have that all wrong...apologies to my Scottish knitting friends out there!) Anyhooo, it's still very pretty when it all comes down, isn't it? - whitewashing everything and highlighting the lacy interwoven branches of the leafless trees.  Nature's lace:)

Mind you, I don't open my front door and see a wall of snow as many have in New England and upstate New York.  Now that would be too much for any sane person.  I think because it's March, I just know that soon, all this dark brown and white and colorless texture will give way to the vibrant colors and fresh air of spring sooner than even an old lady like myself might imagine. 

In the meantime, speaking of colorless texture, I have made headway on the first sleeve of  - Dan's Aran sweater the lovely Man's Entwined Circles Pullover designed by Melissa Leapman in her Continuous Cables book. The increases are completed and I am in the last couple of inches before beginning the dramatic decrease and then the shoulder saddle.  It seems to be too big - not lengthwise, rather too wide or something.  I think my moss stitch tends to be too loose. If that is the case, I will rip back to a narrower point, make a note of how many stitches I increased, and then knit on.  But I will need to borrow Dan's arm for that, and he is in Bawlmer (hopefully also keeping warm).  So for today anyway, I think I will throw my effort at the Ommigang.

After all, my arms are readily available to try sleeves on as I go:). And too big for me is decidedly NOT a problem! If I'm a very good girl, I might work on another, more colorful project.

See? It doesn't take much to make me happy. Thankful the electricity is still working (fingers crossed), which is why I am able to type these words right now as the fan blows heated air through the house and the blanket of snow lends its own soundproofing to a slightly cluttered, but peaceful home.

Wishing you all the best life has to offer. Back with you soon. In the meantime, God be with you 'til we meet again+

Postscript: Look at all the shoveling Robyn did. Enter a neighbor with a snowblower and another one with a shovel (and me with mine--again, LOL) and some pretty nice results followed Thanks you guys!!:) (that nice black car is not ours- it was added by the neighbor to make us look classy;)).