Snow, again
We made it through Christmas Eve and Christmas, and they weren't awful. There is, as N says, a hole in everything, but having accepted that, there was room for some genuinely good moments. We really did try to opt out of most of our family gift exchanges, but we received big old boxes from everyone, anyway. Our Christmas day consisted of drinking coffee and lounging about, filling the bird feeders, opening presents and noting down who gave us what so we can write accurate thank you notes, and talking to family on the phone. Then we went for a long walk in the snow. The night was so still, so magically quiet, that the only sounds were our feet in the snow and the sound of snowflakes falling on N's down jacket. When we came home, I made a snow angel in our front yard, something I've been wanting to do for days.
All the trees in town are frosted, all the streets and most of the sidewalks are white. Yesterday I had the snow tires put on the car and put the all-weathers in storage till spring, and with today's onslaught of fresh, wet snow I'm sighing with relief that these things are done. Our storage space is up a very steep, never-plowed hill, and we've already had a few close calls with the winter driving. I also purchased two plastic toboggans (a bargain at $15.00 each) that we're planning to try out today if we can roust ourselves from warm indolence and brave the elements.
For now, I sit and watch the snow fall, with lines from Rossetti (snow on snow on snow) and from Graves (despite the snow, despite the falling snow) running through my head. Snow is comforting to me in a way I can't quite articulate. The way it covers everything, the way it shushes everything (perhaps I'm more of an old-fashioned librarian that I admit?), the way it makes dead brown things beautiful, the way it makes me appreciate the warmth of the cat on my lap or of the cup of tea in my hands. It falls like a blessing, and is one of the few blessings I believe in these days. I understand that not everyone loves it as I do, but this winter, there can't be too much of it for me.
So, not terrible, which is really as much as I dared hope for. And now there are just a few days left of 2008, just a few days to get through before the new year.
All the trees in town are frosted, all the streets and most of the sidewalks are white. Yesterday I had the snow tires put on the car and put the all-weathers in storage till spring, and with today's onslaught of fresh, wet snow I'm sighing with relief that these things are done. Our storage space is up a very steep, never-plowed hill, and we've already had a few close calls with the winter driving. I also purchased two plastic toboggans (a bargain at $15.00 each) that we're planning to try out today if we can roust ourselves from warm indolence and brave the elements.
For now, I sit and watch the snow fall, with lines from Rossetti (snow on snow on snow) and from Graves (despite the snow, despite the falling snow) running through my head. Snow is comforting to me in a way I can't quite articulate. The way it covers everything, the way it shushes everything (perhaps I'm more of an old-fashioned librarian that I admit?), the way it makes dead brown things beautiful, the way it makes me appreciate the warmth of the cat on my lap or of the cup of tea in my hands. It falls like a blessing, and is one of the few blessings I believe in these days. I understand that not everyone loves it as I do, but this winter, there can't be too much of it for me.
So, not terrible, which is really as much as I dared hope for. And now there are just a few days left of 2008, just a few days to get through before the new year.