Today would have been the last day of school if we didn't have to make up Thursday's snow day tomorrow. That's okay, though. It gave my students a little bit more time to come up with drafts for the revision workshop. We'll see if that's what they used the extra time for!
I can't believe we are leaving for Oklahoma in just a few days. I'm so busy that I haven't even had a chance to get excited. Without a tree or decorations or presents or stockings, it doesn't feel like Christmas -- even with snow, even with our neighbor's beautiful decorations. But I think it will feel like Christmas once we're on our way. I'm kind of excited for the long drive, as long as it doesn't entail battling through white-outs and sliding around on ice.
We are supposed to get snow again on Wednesday. My student who lives in Carthage said it was snowing at her house when she left this morning. I love that my students from the outlying areas of Jefferson County always give me hopeful weather updates about the snow they had or that their parents called and told them about. They know I love snow, and they always say, "Maybe it will come all the way out here!" I hope they enjoy me as much as I enjoy them. Even when they are whiny, disgruntled, or otherwise creatively maddening, I feel proprietorial about them, and protective of their uncertain voices in the saturated world of words.
Still, I'm very glad today was the last day of class for three of my classes. I have two more tomorrow, and then it's on to grading final essays, figuring final grades, and making plans for spring.
I got my student evaluations today, and while some of them fairly complained about some classroom management issues and a poorly-designed textbook, I got mostly good reviews. For the first time in my life, I have been assessed as a fair grader! That is quite an accomplishment; I've often been told that I am too hard. I don't think it's due to my goodness, though; I think it is the result of a good grading rubric developed by my incredible department.
I can't say enough good things about my college, my department, my students, this place...I could never have imagined it would be so easy to love. I thought maybe I would be cold, that people would be unfriendly, that I wouldn't be smart enough, that I'd be behind. But the cold is not only bearable but exciting, the people are easy to get along with, my Hog training serves me well in my job, and nobody cares if you're behind here -- Everyone is too concerned with staying warm to be overly fashionable of clothing or intellect. I know when I go home I will bore people with tales of how nice it is here...because it's that: Nice. That sounds boring, but it's not. In a million little ways, this is a fascinating place, and I'm so glad I'm here!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Post-Snow
It isn't snowing anymore, and I am so sorry for that! It may snow again this weekend, though. Now, the snow melted a little and turned into ice on the sidewalks. That is no fun. But at least everything is still mostly white. Alas, our snow never got above the tips of our grass. They stick out the top of it and ruin the yard. Maybe we should mow if we ever get a chance so the snow can cover it up next time.
But I had a good time yesterday. Our elegant and clever department chair is retiring, so we had a lunch for her at work. We all piled into her warm office and ate beef stew and lemon cake and talked about what we're going to read this winter. I am so lucky to be part of this department. Your department makes all the difference. Good co-workers can make anything bearable, even five classes of freshman composition writing five papers each.
My classes were small. Some of my students were still snowed in. But we did our lesson plan anyway, and it went pretty well. Then they did class evaluations, and I hope that went well too! There is a lot to criticize this first semester. I hope to iron out some of the wrinkles by spring.
The campus closed at 4, and that's when the Christmas party started in the Commons. I sang back-up with the faculty band, and our fearless dean (actually, he was really nervous in this case) played drums in public for the first time. I was standing there singing Marshall Tucker Band and Creedence Clearwater Revival songs thinking, "There on the drums is my dean. There on the lead guitar is our head librarian. There on the bass and keyboards and rhythm guitar are my fellow professors. And here singing beside me is our all-knowing secretary. And there, dancing in front of us, is our college president. Outside is snow. I am the luckiest person in the world."
Unfortunately, Joe didn't get to join in any of these festivities. He had staff duty yesterday, which means he was up for 24 hours. Normally when you have staff duty, you are off work the next day so you can sleep. But instead of that, he was informed that he would be participating -- sans sleep -- in humvee rollover simulation! That's right -- They took my poor, sleep-deprived husband, put him in a fake humvee with a bunch of other soldiers, then rolled it over. By the time he got home, he was sore and positively hallucinatory.
I was sad to be without him, but I still had a good time. I kept thinking that this is how it is going to be again, once he's gone -- going out with couples, on my own. But at least these couples invited me even without him. Lots of couples feel weird having you there when your husband is deployed, I think. I wish he would have been able to get to know my co-workers/friends because it makes it easier when he's gone for there to be people who know him, so they can remember things about him, so when they ask about him, they really know who they are asking about. But this unit has kept him really busy, so he's only met them once. And I barely know the wives from the unit, either. Post feels like another country, and I never go there. Everyone has children, and they have a different kind of life. But I know I'll get to know them once the guys are gone, and I know we'll get along since we'll have that big thing in common.
But all that sounds sad...It's not. It's how the Army works, and it's fine. I've lucked out in deployments so far: I waited out two in Mississippi, by the ocean. Now, I'll wait this one out in New York, by Lake Ontario and in the snow. I guess I'm the luckiest person I know, really. I'm not being sarcastic, either. I wake up most days and can't believe it's turned out this good.
But I had a good time yesterday. Our elegant and clever department chair is retiring, so we had a lunch for her at work. We all piled into her warm office and ate beef stew and lemon cake and talked about what we're going to read this winter. I am so lucky to be part of this department. Your department makes all the difference. Good co-workers can make anything bearable, even five classes of freshman composition writing five papers each.
My classes were small. Some of my students were still snowed in. But we did our lesson plan anyway, and it went pretty well. Then they did class evaluations, and I hope that went well too! There is a lot to criticize this first semester. I hope to iron out some of the wrinkles by spring.
The campus closed at 4, and that's when the Christmas party started in the Commons. I sang back-up with the faculty band, and our fearless dean (actually, he was really nervous in this case) played drums in public for the first time. I was standing there singing Marshall Tucker Band and Creedence Clearwater Revival songs thinking, "There on the drums is my dean. There on the lead guitar is our head librarian. There on the bass and keyboards and rhythm guitar are my fellow professors. And here singing beside me is our all-knowing secretary. And there, dancing in front of us, is our college president. Outside is snow. I am the luckiest person in the world."
Unfortunately, Joe didn't get to join in any of these festivities. He had staff duty yesterday, which means he was up for 24 hours. Normally when you have staff duty, you are off work the next day so you can sleep. But instead of that, he was informed that he would be participating -- sans sleep -- in humvee rollover simulation! That's right -- They took my poor, sleep-deprived husband, put him in a fake humvee with a bunch of other soldiers, then rolled it over. By the time he got home, he was sore and positively hallucinatory.
I was sad to be without him, but I still had a good time. I kept thinking that this is how it is going to be again, once he's gone -- going out with couples, on my own. But at least these couples invited me even without him. Lots of couples feel weird having you there when your husband is deployed, I think. I wish he would have been able to get to know my co-workers/friends because it makes it easier when he's gone for there to be people who know him, so they can remember things about him, so when they ask about him, they really know who they are asking about. But this unit has kept him really busy, so he's only met them once. And I barely know the wives from the unit, either. Post feels like another country, and I never go there. Everyone has children, and they have a different kind of life. But I know I'll get to know them once the guys are gone, and I know we'll get along since we'll have that big thing in common.
But all that sounds sad...It's not. It's how the Army works, and it's fine. I've lucked out in deployments so far: I waited out two in Mississippi, by the ocean. Now, I'll wait this one out in New York, by Lake Ontario and in the snow. I guess I'm the luckiest person I know, really. I'm not being sarcastic, either. I wake up most days and can't believe it's turned out this good.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
And now there came both mist and snow for REAL
Last time we got snow, it was light and fluffy and no more than Oklahoma gets. Also, it only lasted for a day. Once it turned into water, it didn't even freeze! I felt cheated.
But today we got more snow -- so much snow that my college closed for the day! Unfortunately, we don't live where all the snow piles up. I chose to live in Sackets Harbor, a beautiful village right on the shore of Lake Ontario. That means we get big gusts of wind that whip the trees around and make big crashing waves on the lake. The gusts of wind blow most of our snow over to Watertown and Syracuse, and then the wind drops it. They get feet of snow; we get piddly little ankle-deep inches. At least so far. And they tell me we don't get much more than that. The most we might get is three feet. I can see over a three-foot wall, so that is not enough.
Still, I do not mean to complain. I have snow! The morning started out with the big wind and little pellets of ice. That is no fun. That is Oklahoma weather. And Joe had to drive to staff duty in it at 5 in the morning. I got up at 6:30 to see if snow had come, and it had, but not much. There was more wind, and it picked up the snow and blew it around, but we weren't getting acumulation. I took Tula on a very windy walk to the end of the block but came home because I was afraid a limb would fall on us.
By the afternoon, we'd had more gusts of snow and sometimes actual falling snow. We also had no internet or television, so I don't know how much snow everyone else got. Sackets Harbor had nice clean streets and small limbs everywhere, but still just the ankle-deep snow. I took Tula on a walk one direction, and then I walked by myself to the bank to deposit a check. I didn't see any other people out, so I thought maybe there was some safety or etiquette reason not to walk around in the snow. I asked the teller, and she said, "No, you can play in it. We just don't go out in it because we hate it."
I guess you can get tired of anything.
But I'm not tired! I took Tula out a third time, and we walked to the dock to see the waves. They were dramatic! But I couldn't stand watching them for long. The wind picked up again, then it started to actually snow, and this snow was like pellets. I could stand it...it's funny what I can stand here...but I thought maybe the wind actually was getting dangerous, so we went on home.
Now it's windy still. In Oklahoma, wind means tornadoes, and I am so afraid of them! Here, I love the wind because I know what it's doing to the lake. (I'm sorry for the people whose roofs are getting torn off, etc., of course.) But also, our wind is different, at least so far. Oklahoma winter wind is a personal affront. It goes straight through the strongest clothes. It takes your breath away. It feels like it's doing it on purpose. These big gusts of wind sweep me off my feet, but they don't feel colder than the other air. Maybe they are just coming from the wrong direction for that. Or maybe New York wind is just nicer.
The snow, as I said, is pellets today. It is so easy to make a snowball! I just saw a gang of young men go by my window with their arms loaded, so I imagine there is quite a war going on in town. I mean to make a snowman in the morning, if school is cancelled again, so it can greet Joe when he comes home from staff duty (if he can drive home, that is...).
We got deployment news today -- a date that is earlier by far than we'd expected -- but it will not ruin my snow. Deployments happen, unfortunately. We knew this one would come some time. It's war; of course I'm horrified. But he's not there yet, and right now, there is snow and more snow expected, and, they tell me, that this is not even the BEGINNING of the snow. So, I have something to dread, yes, but I also have something to look forward to. This place is known for its snow, and I'm lucky to be here for it!
But today we got more snow -- so much snow that my college closed for the day! Unfortunately, we don't live where all the snow piles up. I chose to live in Sackets Harbor, a beautiful village right on the shore of Lake Ontario. That means we get big gusts of wind that whip the trees around and make big crashing waves on the lake. The gusts of wind blow most of our snow over to Watertown and Syracuse, and then the wind drops it. They get feet of snow; we get piddly little ankle-deep inches. At least so far. And they tell me we don't get much more than that. The most we might get is three feet. I can see over a three-foot wall, so that is not enough.
Still, I do not mean to complain. I have snow! The morning started out with the big wind and little pellets of ice. That is no fun. That is Oklahoma weather. And Joe had to drive to staff duty in it at 5 in the morning. I got up at 6:30 to see if snow had come, and it had, but not much. There was more wind, and it picked up the snow and blew it around, but we weren't getting acumulation. I took Tula on a very windy walk to the end of the block but came home because I was afraid a limb would fall on us.
By the afternoon, we'd had more gusts of snow and sometimes actual falling snow. We also had no internet or television, so I don't know how much snow everyone else got. Sackets Harbor had nice clean streets and small limbs everywhere, but still just the ankle-deep snow. I took Tula on a walk one direction, and then I walked by myself to the bank to deposit a check. I didn't see any other people out, so I thought maybe there was some safety or etiquette reason not to walk around in the snow. I asked the teller, and she said, "No, you can play in it. We just don't go out in it because we hate it."
I guess you can get tired of anything.
But I'm not tired! I took Tula out a third time, and we walked to the dock to see the waves. They were dramatic! But I couldn't stand watching them for long. The wind picked up again, then it started to actually snow, and this snow was like pellets. I could stand it...it's funny what I can stand here...but I thought maybe the wind actually was getting dangerous, so we went on home.
Now it's windy still. In Oklahoma, wind means tornadoes, and I am so afraid of them! Here, I love the wind because I know what it's doing to the lake. (I'm sorry for the people whose roofs are getting torn off, etc., of course.) But also, our wind is different, at least so far. Oklahoma winter wind is a personal affront. It goes straight through the strongest clothes. It takes your breath away. It feels like it's doing it on purpose. These big gusts of wind sweep me off my feet, but they don't feel colder than the other air. Maybe they are just coming from the wrong direction for that. Or maybe New York wind is just nicer.
The snow, as I said, is pellets today. It is so easy to make a snowball! I just saw a gang of young men go by my window with their arms loaded, so I imagine there is quite a war going on in town. I mean to make a snowman in the morning, if school is cancelled again, so it can greet Joe when he comes home from staff duty (if he can drive home, that is...).
We got deployment news today -- a date that is earlier by far than we'd expected -- but it will not ruin my snow. Deployments happen, unfortunately. We knew this one would come some time. It's war; of course I'm horrified. But he's not there yet, and right now, there is snow and more snow expected, and, they tell me, that this is not even the BEGINNING of the snow. So, I have something to dread, yes, but I also have something to look forward to. This place is known for its snow, and I'm lucky to be here for it!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Trip to Canton
I needed to start my Christmas shopping, but I didn't want to go to Canada without Joe. I didn't want to go to usual stores. I wanted something special and unique to northern New York. So I went to Canton, which is north of us, by the St. Lawrence River. In Canton is Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY), which is a center for workshops, exhibit space, and store where tradtional crafts are sold. I figured it would be a good place to start, and I thought Canton might have some other little shops too (it didn't...or at least I didn't find any).
The drive was nice even though all the trees are skeletal and everything is dead and the sky was hazy gray and the sun a smudge. I saw Herefords. I know that doesn't sound exciting, but I grew up with them, and most of the cows I see here are dairy cows. I LOVE the wide variety of dairy cows, but it was good to see the familiar white faces.
At TAUNY I watched a man make an Adirondack pack. That is a kind of backpack made of reeds, like a basket. The Mohawks are responsible for them, according to the exhibit that was up. I want one before I leave here, but I wasn't shopping for myself today. I saw several nice things there, but nothing that suited my gift purposes.
But I did find some good things for stockings. I can't tell you what they are because someone reaing this might be also getting things in his or her stocking from me. But I can tell you about the other things I bought because they are for Boxing Day.
As the child of divorce, I have had at least two Christmases since I was 13 -- my mother's house, my father's house, and my mother's big, huge extended family. Now I am married, thank goodness to someone whose parents are still together, so that adds another Christmas. And if we go to HIS big, huge extended family, that adds another. (We usually just drop by that gathering...and mmmm, can his family ever make dessert!!) Christmas, therefore, is a stressful mess of running here and there, trying to see everyone with equal time and energy -- and my father always seemed to get the shortest, most stressed-out part of the holiday.
So we started a grand new tradition: Boxing Day. Thanks to our father, my sisters and I grew up reading English literature, so we'd always heard about Boxing Day, but we never celebrated it, of course. I read up on it, and asked some British people about it, and everyone said that today, Boxing Day is a day of big lunch and laying around. That sounded good to us, so we adapted it. We import Christmas crackers from England (thank you, Maya!), make a big roast, open one present each, and lay around in our most comfortable clothes. It's great.
At TAUNY, I found some things from a company by Saranac Lake that makes Victorian Christmas candy: Barley candy and sugarplums! I've always read about barley candy but never encountered it, and after a lifetime of reading "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," have never even thought about what sugarplums might be. But we will be trying these things on Boxing Day this year. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
On the way home from Canton, I stopped at an antique store, where an Amish man was looking for a wind-up pocket watch. I know you are not supposed to hope to meet certain kinds of people. You are supposed to see everyone as the same, and want to meet everyone equally, and find everyone fascinating. I promise I do, but I also always hope I'll get to talk to an Amish person, and at last I did! And it was as I hoped it would be. We didn't talk about anything exciting...the weather, whether it would snow, how many nooks and crannies were in the shop...like any strangers would. But Amish people are new to me, so I liked it. Anyway, I like how nice everyone always is up here, Amish or not.
On the way home from there, I had to stop in a border patrol roadblock. And here I didn't even go to Canada! I LOVE living by the border, though! It's exciting. I don't know what they were looking for...Canadians trying to sneak into New York? Why would they do that? Anyway, they were curious about my Oklahoma tag and license until they saw the military sticker on my car. So, in one day I got to talk to both an Amish person AND a border patrol agent. That makes an interesting day for me.
I'm home now, and so is Joe. He brought Tula an early Christmas present: A dog bed, which she loves already. He also brought tacos. We are going to eat them and watch "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" on television. They're playing bluegrass at, of all places, the ice rink in Watertown until 8, so we may go see that if we have the energy. Because that's the kind of thing you get to do here in the land of mist and snow...ice skate to bluegrass. What a place!
The drive was nice even though all the trees are skeletal and everything is dead and the sky was hazy gray and the sun a smudge. I saw Herefords. I know that doesn't sound exciting, but I grew up with them, and most of the cows I see here are dairy cows. I LOVE the wide variety of dairy cows, but it was good to see the familiar white faces.
At TAUNY I watched a man make an Adirondack pack. That is a kind of backpack made of reeds, like a basket. The Mohawks are responsible for them, according to the exhibit that was up. I want one before I leave here, but I wasn't shopping for myself today. I saw several nice things there, but nothing that suited my gift purposes.
But I did find some good things for stockings. I can't tell you what they are because someone reaing this might be also getting things in his or her stocking from me. But I can tell you about the other things I bought because they are for Boxing Day.
As the child of divorce, I have had at least two Christmases since I was 13 -- my mother's house, my father's house, and my mother's big, huge extended family. Now I am married, thank goodness to someone whose parents are still together, so that adds another Christmas. And if we go to HIS big, huge extended family, that adds another. (We usually just drop by that gathering...and mmmm, can his family ever make dessert!!) Christmas, therefore, is a stressful mess of running here and there, trying to see everyone with equal time and energy -- and my father always seemed to get the shortest, most stressed-out part of the holiday.
So we started a grand new tradition: Boxing Day. Thanks to our father, my sisters and I grew up reading English literature, so we'd always heard about Boxing Day, but we never celebrated it, of course. I read up on it, and asked some British people about it, and everyone said that today, Boxing Day is a day of big lunch and laying around. That sounded good to us, so we adapted it. We import Christmas crackers from England (thank you, Maya!), make a big roast, open one present each, and lay around in our most comfortable clothes. It's great.
At TAUNY, I found some things from a company by Saranac Lake that makes Victorian Christmas candy: Barley candy and sugarplums! I've always read about barley candy but never encountered it, and after a lifetime of reading "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," have never even thought about what sugarplums might be. But we will be trying these things on Boxing Day this year. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
On the way home from Canton, I stopped at an antique store, where an Amish man was looking for a wind-up pocket watch. I know you are not supposed to hope to meet certain kinds of people. You are supposed to see everyone as the same, and want to meet everyone equally, and find everyone fascinating. I promise I do, but I also always hope I'll get to talk to an Amish person, and at last I did! And it was as I hoped it would be. We didn't talk about anything exciting...the weather, whether it would snow, how many nooks and crannies were in the shop...like any strangers would. But Amish people are new to me, so I liked it. Anyway, I like how nice everyone always is up here, Amish or not.
On the way home from there, I had to stop in a border patrol roadblock. And here I didn't even go to Canada! I LOVE living by the border, though! It's exciting. I don't know what they were looking for...Canadians trying to sneak into New York? Why would they do that? Anyway, they were curious about my Oklahoma tag and license until they saw the military sticker on my car. So, in one day I got to talk to both an Amish person AND a border patrol agent. That makes an interesting day for me.
I'm home now, and so is Joe. He brought Tula an early Christmas present: A dog bed, which she loves already. He also brought tacos. We are going to eat them and watch "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" on television. They're playing bluegrass at, of all places, the ice rink in Watertown until 8, so we may go see that if we have the energy. Because that's the kind of thing you get to do here in the land of mist and snow...ice skate to bluegrass. What a place!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Short and Boring
I just thought I'd write something here...but as the title says, it will be short and boring.
I've had a busy week full of grading essays, dealing with disgruntled students, and getting the heating oil set up for our house. The good news is that I only have late papers to grade now. Tomorrow, I should be finished with all the grading until the final papers come in.
See? Boring. I'm tired of words.
I sure need to go Christmas shopping, but it's supposed to snow this weekend. I wanted to shop somewhere interesting, like Canada, or at least Syracuse. But it looks like I'll have to stay around Sackets Harbor/Watertown. Oh well...
One more day of teaching, and it's a short day...then it will be the weekend, and I won't have any papers to grade! At least for another week.
I've had a busy week full of grading essays, dealing with disgruntled students, and getting the heating oil set up for our house. The good news is that I only have late papers to grade now. Tomorrow, I should be finished with all the grading until the final papers come in.
See? Boring. I'm tired of words.
I sure need to go Christmas shopping, but it's supposed to snow this weekend. I wanted to shop somewhere interesting, like Canada, or at least Syracuse. But it looks like I'll have to stay around Sackets Harbor/Watertown. Oh well...
One more day of teaching, and it's a short day...then it will be the weekend, and I won't have any papers to grade! At least for another week.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Short, cold blog
I'm too lazy to build a fire and we're out of heating oil. I just took Tula on a walk in the cold -- the snow is gone! -- and my fingers are freezing. Also, I have an incredibly busy day of work ahead of me thanks to meetings that took up all my free time yesterday.
I was hoping President Obama would surprise everybody by saying, "On my way over here, I decided we should just bring all the soldiers home tomorrow and not ever return to Afghanistan or Iraq." Of course, he can't do that. It's no good to see Fort Drum in the list of places the new soldiers will come from, but we're not surprised, obviously. Still no word on when, but at least it will be after Christmas.
It's not that Christmas is a particularly sad time not to have him home, or a poignant time to send him to war. Selfishly, I just can't stand the thought of thinking of an appropriate answer for people who come up to me and say, "How terrible that he's gone at Christmas. You must be so sad." I'm never sad he's gone; he likes to be at war. I'm worried that he may be getting killed or maimed, but that's not the same, and you can't say that to people because they say, "You have to keep positive." Ugh.
It'll be bad enough to go home and have a whole bunch of sad people around saying, "I just don't feel like celebrating Christmas, knowing he's going" or looking at me sadly like I don't realize this may be our last Christmas together on this earth. Ugh, again.
Afghanistan is dangerous. Going there in a TRUCK is really dangerous. But so is driving on ice, and we'll be doing lots of that.
I kind of hope they don't tell us when he's going until after Christmas. Then I hope President Obama really does change his mind and decide to just call the whole thing off. Not likely, I know, but you never can tell.
I was hoping President Obama would surprise everybody by saying, "On my way over here, I decided we should just bring all the soldiers home tomorrow and not ever return to Afghanistan or Iraq." Of course, he can't do that. It's no good to see Fort Drum in the list of places the new soldiers will come from, but we're not surprised, obviously. Still no word on when, but at least it will be after Christmas.
It's not that Christmas is a particularly sad time not to have him home, or a poignant time to send him to war. Selfishly, I just can't stand the thought of thinking of an appropriate answer for people who come up to me and say, "How terrible that he's gone at Christmas. You must be so sad." I'm never sad he's gone; he likes to be at war. I'm worried that he may be getting killed or maimed, but that's not the same, and you can't say that to people because they say, "You have to keep positive." Ugh.
It'll be bad enough to go home and have a whole bunch of sad people around saying, "I just don't feel like celebrating Christmas, knowing he's going" or looking at me sadly like I don't realize this may be our last Christmas together on this earth. Ugh, again.
Afghanistan is dangerous. Going there in a TRUCK is really dangerous. But so is driving on ice, and we'll be doing lots of that.
I kind of hope they don't tell us when he's going until after Christmas. Then I hope President Obama really does change his mind and decide to just call the whole thing off. Not likely, I know, but you never can tell.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
And now there came both mist and snow...
At last, at last, at LAST it snowed!
Yesterday I was sitting in my office making lesson plans. I glanced over at the window, and there were big fat snowflakes going by! I forgot myself and exclaimed, "It's SNOWING!" and jumped up and did a little dance. As I was saying that, I heard from the secretary and the people in the office next door, "Noooo! It's snowing!" They keep telling me I'll get tired of the snow, but I won't believe that until it happens. I understand, though, that you get tired of whatever you are used to. The people in Mississippi got tired of humidity, for example. In Oklahoma, I get tired of storms.
But back to the snow. This morning, I was awakened to some of the best words ever: "It's snowing, and I built a fire." It is the greatest thing in the world to have a good husband. The only thing that could have made that better would have been the addition of, "And school is closed." But New York schools don't close for an inch of snow, of course.
I took Tula on a walk, and she loved the snow. She buried her head in it and never acted cold. I'm so glad we decided to let her hair grow long for the winter even though it means she is now totally caked with snow and flinging it all over the house.
This isn't much snow. It's just enough to make everything pretty, and they said it may be gone tomorrow. But we are going to get more this weekend. I hope that's true! I'm used to Oklahoma snow. It doesn't last very long, and we only get it a few times a year. So even as I love the snow, I'm already mourning that it won't stay. I feel like I want to stay outside all day today in this snow, as if it will be the last, but the great thing about upstate New York is that this is NOT the last! This is only the beginning! They tell me we will have snow right up until April!
It's like when we got assigned to Fort Sill and suddenly I had two years of Joseph home and not deploying stretching out in front of me: It was an unbelievable feast after years of famine. I'm pretty sure President Obama is going to tell me that particular feast is over in his speech tonight. But the snow feast has just started, and that's something.
I wish all I had to do was walk around in it, but I have to go to school and listen to all these poor upstate New York people sigh with pain and say woefully, "And so it starts." I'll try not to celebrate in front of them.
Yesterday I was sitting in my office making lesson plans. I glanced over at the window, and there were big fat snowflakes going by! I forgot myself and exclaimed, "It's SNOWING!" and jumped up and did a little dance. As I was saying that, I heard from the secretary and the people in the office next door, "Noooo! It's snowing!" They keep telling me I'll get tired of the snow, but I won't believe that until it happens. I understand, though, that you get tired of whatever you are used to. The people in Mississippi got tired of humidity, for example. In Oklahoma, I get tired of storms.
But back to the snow. This morning, I was awakened to some of the best words ever: "It's snowing, and I built a fire." It is the greatest thing in the world to have a good husband. The only thing that could have made that better would have been the addition of, "And school is closed." But New York schools don't close for an inch of snow, of course.
I took Tula on a walk, and she loved the snow. She buried her head in it and never acted cold. I'm so glad we decided to let her hair grow long for the winter even though it means she is now totally caked with snow and flinging it all over the house.
This isn't much snow. It's just enough to make everything pretty, and they said it may be gone tomorrow. But we are going to get more this weekend. I hope that's true! I'm used to Oklahoma snow. It doesn't last very long, and we only get it a few times a year. So even as I love the snow, I'm already mourning that it won't stay. I feel like I want to stay outside all day today in this snow, as if it will be the last, but the great thing about upstate New York is that this is NOT the last! This is only the beginning! They tell me we will have snow right up until April!
It's like when we got assigned to Fort Sill and suddenly I had two years of Joseph home and not deploying stretching out in front of me: It was an unbelievable feast after years of famine. I'm pretty sure President Obama is going to tell me that particular feast is over in his speech tonight. But the snow feast has just started, and that's something.
I wish all I had to do was walk around in it, but I have to go to school and listen to all these poor upstate New York people sigh with pain and say woefully, "And so it starts." I'll try not to celebrate in front of them.
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