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Date Posted: 17:30:04 01/29/14 Wed
Author: usmgrad
Subject: Repost - Snow

Title: Repost - Snow

Author: usmgrad

A/N – this is snow day two and I live on the Gulf Coast! Thought a little cheering up was in order so this repost is for all of you ‘snowed’ in or just tired of the snow and cold weather. Let’s hope a certain groundhog this Sunday tells us winter is over and Spring is just around the corner! ALSO in case you need another ‘tropical” diversion, Chris Keniston’s (our own chrisk) new book “Almost Paradise” comes out January 31st. It’s just the thing to make you forget all about the snow and cold weather.


This is entirely from Mac's point of view.

Will winter ever be over? I long for the warm gentle breezes of a spring day. Seeing the tender buds burst from dormant trees, bringing them back to life. Watching as the ground sheds its harsh, winter coat for a soft, green blanket. Listening to the sweet chirping of birds as they search for that elusive worm. Spring, I don’t think it will ever get here; we are destined to be forever surrounded by - snow.

The first dusting was in mid-November. It was early, not winter, just barely in mid autumn, which should have been our first clue. It was unexpected, but a welcome change from the browns and grays that had surrounded us since the departure of the golden autumn palette on the winds of seasonal change. It reminded us it was time to think about coats and boots and mittens and to prepare for snow shovels, windshield scrappers and salt. That first snow fall was light, but managed to coat everything in beautiful winter white. We built snowmen and made snow angles. We had no idea what was in store for us later.

December arrived and we were too busy with shopping, holiday parties, and visiting family and friends to pay attention to the weather and it seemed the weather didn't mind. However the closer Christmas came, the more weather became a part of our daily life. Everyone was into the game of 'are we going to have a white Christmas?' Christmas arrived, sans the snow. Emily was very disappointed. However a week later we were snowed in for days. Emily was thrilled; she pretended we were being held captive by an evil ice king. We had snowball fights, made snowmen and went sledding. The plow truck finally released us from our captivity and things returned to normal for January - very cold, with a very white landscape.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the snow. It's so pretty when it comes down, first dusting the trees with a light film, like angle dust. Then it comes down heavier and soon the brown hard ground is covered in a white winter blanket. Of course it’s beautiful from the comfort of my kitchen, where I sit drinking hot chocolate or sipping soup. It's when the soup runs out and the streets are cleared that it becomes not so pretty, for it is then that I have to go out in it. After a week the freshly fallen snow no longer has the pristine look of an angle's gown, it has taken on the consistency of my daughter's bath water after a day of playing in the dirt - brown sludge.

We made it through January's ice storm, record setting low temperatures and a blizzard. February arrived and the hope of an early spring was dashed when the groundhog popped out (actually I think they drug him out, he's no fool it was cold outside) and saw his shadow. Just what we needed an official declaration of six more weeks of winter. And wouldn't you know it the stores didn't subscribe to the groundhog's prediction as they were stocking their shelves with sun dresses, shorts and bathing suits. Who wants to by a bathing suit when it's when it's 30 degrees outside?

By the end of February we were all a little tired of the color white. It was there on the way to work and on the way home. On the weekends we pretended to enjoy it. But playing outside had gotten old. After the marines beat the navy in a snowball fight to end all snowball fights (it took three days, but then we didn’t have anything else to do and we marines didn’t want to make the navy feel bad by winning in the first hour - which we could have done), no one wanted to even think it about making another snowball. Sledding was taken off the list of 'fun' activities after the near accident with a tree. Face it, spring couldn't come soon enough.

So we stayed inside. Unfortunately it didn’t take long for cabin fever to take over. I mean really you can only play Candy Land and Shoots and Ladders so many times before you go crazy. Emily suggested we play Twister, however I nixed that idea, somehow I had a feeling Harm would win every time (you know long legs and arms). We turned to television for entertainment, something Harm really didn’t like, but I assured him we would just watch Discovery Channel and the History Channel. Saw a really good show about polar bears called Arctic Exposure, but it just reminded us of the snow outside. Eventually even television became boring. Emily and I retreated to the dining room to work on photo albums. Seems Trish got Emily interested in family and memory books. Ever since then we have been piecing together a 'history' of our family and putting it all in memory books for Emily. Harm disappeared to the basement and won't let anyone near it. Good thing the washer and dryer are upstairs! When I asked him what was going on with all the hammering and sawing, he would only divulge it was for his date with Emily. I figure they're going to build something, maybe the doll house she keeps talking about.

Harm and Emily had their first 'date' last August. It all started after Harm and I had to attend a dinner party at the General's house. Our daughter felt left out, so she asked her daddy for a dinner date. Of course he agreed, I mean really who could turn down those big brown eyes? Ever since then once a month they go on a date. Emily makes each outing an adventure. She made a trip to the zoo sound like an African safari and a day in the park became an exploration of the Amazon. I remember her telling me about January's adventure, they were lost in the tundra and the only means of escape was to build a plane and fly out. Translation - they built an airplane out of - you guessed it - snow, took first place in a neighborhood snow sculpture contest! It's time for their March 'date', wonder what adventure they'll have this month?

Last night Emily asked her daddy about their date. Harm informed her they would be departing from the kitchen first thing in the morning and to wear shorts and a t-shirt. Now I know my husband sometimes has wild ideas but last night Emily thought he was off his rocker. Shorts and a t-shirt in the middle of winter? He just laughed and said she was going to love it.

So here we are, Saturday morning, I'm in the kitchen drinking my morning coffee wondering what I'll be doing today. My husband, up before me, has disappeared and Emily will be down soon. I hope Harm gets back from wherever he went or I'm going to have one very disappointed girl on my hands.

"Good morning mommy." Emily is wearing the required shorts and t-shirt, ready for her date with daddy.

"Are you going somewhere?" I can't help but ask.

"Uh huh" Emily's looking for her missing father.

"Traveling alone?" I'm stalling for time, hoping Harm will make an appearance soon.

Emily smiles and shakes her head, "No, the man I'm travelling with is Navy. We're sneaking off to the islands for the weekend."

Now I'm really puzzled, Harm didn’t say anything about islands. My daughter and her imagination! Why didn’t I think of that, a weekend in the islands sounds romantic.

"You ready to go Emily?" Harm has popped up from the basement, dressed similar to Emily, shorts and a large, blue Hawaiian shirt; he is definitely not going to be shoveling snow.

They disappear down to the basement and I go back to my coffee, looking out side and wondering if the snow will ever melt.

"Oh daddy it's beautiful! I love it, thank you."

Emily's squeal has me curious; I have to see what Harm has done in our basement to cause such a reaction.

I can't believe my eyes. The basement walls have been transformed from a dull lifeless gray to a very cheerful sky blue. The room is as bright as a summer day. I hear sounds, beach sounds, waves crashing on the shore, seagulls flying overhead and the sound of laughter. There is a straw shack where the bicycles use to be, above the door it says 'Emily's hut.' In front of the hut are two beach chairs, now occupied by my husband and daughter and the chairs are sitting on - sand. There is sand covering the entire basement floor, real white beach sand. I'm not talking a little bit of sand either; my feet sink up to my ankles when I step on the basement floor. I don’t know how he did it, or how we are going to clean it up but right now it doesn't matter, seeing the expression on our daughter's face is priceless. She has been transported out of our snowy reality into her own tropical paradise courtesy of her loving father.

Now I'm really jealous, my five year old daughter gets a tropical vacation and I'm stuck in the snow. Sorry but this time the date is going to be family affair. Turning to head upstairs to change, I am severely overdressed for the tropics; I'm stopped by Harm.

"Mac, before you go . . ."

He's put something my hand - two tickets - to Hawaii - for tomorrow.

"My mother arrives tonight to watch Emily; we have five days of leave."

I'm speechless, five days with no snow, only white sand beaches, sunshine and my romantic husband. My own tropical adventure!

I can barely see through my tear soaked eyes, but when I look up I can see his wonderful smile.

"I thought both my girls could use a vacation from the snow."

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Replies:

[> Loved both stories Usmgrad -- Bev UK, 08:52:37 01/30/14 Thu [1]


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[> Thanks for these reposts usmgrad, Emilys' line "traveling w Navy man" brought instant visual. Both stories were great pick-me-ups during this unrelenting winter! -- JoyZ, 12:43:41 01/30/14 Thu [1]


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[> Very fun. Thanks for posting -- Shazam, 23:52:35 01/30/14 Thu [1]


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[> Loved it but right now would much prefer snow to this heat! -- Nettie, 07:11:45 02/02/14 Sun [1]


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[> Loved reading this again, usmgrad! Thanks for reposting. -- Dee, 06:26:02 02/06/14 Thu [1]


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