This is what happened to us last night...My estimate is around 8-10 inches of the fluffy kind with more on the way. I have friends who think this is an uncivilized way to live, but we've deliberately chosen to live on a northern parallel, and if it's going to be cold, I prefer to have snow along with it.
I don't love snow, but when you live in it, you have to find ways to accept it. Acceptance is key; if you don't somehow embrace it, you'd feel pretty grouchy and shut in for almost half of the year here in Vermont. Some say St. John's wort helps; I say a vacation to a warm place in February is paramount.
We've found lots of other ways to cope with winter:
Sledding -- We have a little hill in our backyard that entertains the kids for hours. They especially like sledding in the dark wearing headlamps. On free afternoons, we venture out to the big hills known for great sledding around the area.
Skiing -- With Max on skis for the first time last year, we *enjoyed* days at a lodge about 20 minutes from our house. (I say *enjoyed* because I'm not sure lugging five pairs of skis, boots, poles, and three kids in snow gear up the hill was really *fun*.) This year, we're hoping to do more Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.
Scarves and neck gators: You simply have to add these to the bins of mittens and hats.
Smartwool socks: They really do keep your feet warmer than the average sock.
Baking: There's nothing like waking up to a fresh snowfall and warm cinnamon buns for breakfast...
Arts and crafts: Mia is learning to sew and quilt, and I'm going to start knitting socks this weekend. Max can usually use up a few hours coloring, painting, or gluing something; Tom and Will don't do crafts; they play Wii instead.
Hang out the bird feeders: I love seeing cardinal pairs against the white snow. We don't hang out bird feeders in the other seasons because there's a bear in the neighborhood that tears them down and eats the seeds, and I don't want him ambling around our yard.
Enjoy the summer: You sure don't take the summer months for granted when you live in a four-season climate!
So Tom told me it's my turn to snow blow the driveway this morning. (He says things like that to see if he can get a rise out of me.) I told him I sure would, but I know he'll do it anyway because he kind of likes clearing the driveway. Besides it's 6 degrees out, and I've got socks to knit and Christmas cookies to bake...
(445 words)
I don't love snow, but when you live in it, you have to find ways to accept it. Acceptance is key; if you don't somehow embrace it, you'd feel pretty grouchy and shut in for almost half of the year here in Vermont. Some say St. John's wort helps; I say a vacation to a warm place in February is paramount.
We've found lots of other ways to cope with winter:
Sledding -- We have a little hill in our backyard that entertains the kids for hours. They especially like sledding in the dark wearing headlamps. On free afternoons, we venture out to the big hills known for great sledding around the area.
Skiing -- With Max on skis for the first time last year, we *enjoyed* days at a lodge about 20 minutes from our house. (I say *enjoyed* because I'm not sure lugging five pairs of skis, boots, poles, and three kids in snow gear up the hill was really *fun*.) This year, we're hoping to do more Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.
Scarves and neck gators: You simply have to add these to the bins of mittens and hats.
Smartwool socks: They really do keep your feet warmer than the average sock.
Baking: There's nothing like waking up to a fresh snowfall and warm cinnamon buns for breakfast...
Arts and crafts: Mia is learning to sew and quilt, and I'm going to start knitting socks this weekend. Max can usually use up a few hours coloring, painting, or gluing something; Tom and Will don't do crafts; they play Wii instead.
Hang out the bird feeders: I love seeing cardinal pairs against the white snow. We don't hang out bird feeders in the other seasons because there's a bear in the neighborhood that tears them down and eats the seeds, and I don't want him ambling around our yard.
Enjoy the summer: You sure don't take the summer months for granted when you live in a four-season climate!
So Tom told me it's my turn to snow blow the driveway this morning. (He says things like that to see if he can get a rise out of me.) I told him I sure would, but I know he'll do it anyway because he kind of likes clearing the driveway. Besides it's 6 degrees out, and I've got socks to knit and Christmas cookies to bake...
(445 words)
No comments:
Post a Comment