Winter Wonderland?

I live in the south for several reasons. Southern hospitality, grits and really good ginger ale, nice warm summers, and not too cold winters. If it snows, it's in strange times, like March, or April when it will melt soon enough.

Until this year.

I've always heard the songs about a white Christmas, and had never seen them down here. There had been plenty at my grandmother's house in Ohio, but none here since 1963. Christmas was the day you got to ride your new bike, sometimes in shorts and a t shirt, unless it was raining. Christmas Day was the day to be outside with the new outside toys.

This year, the kids, young and old, had a special treat. When we left for church, there were a few flakes falling; nothing too impressive, and in fact, you could have missed them if you hadn't been looking. But after church, we heard squeals of delight from the younger ones, and comments of amazement from the older.

Snow at Christmas- who would have thought.... Certainly not this sweet innocent southern girl!

You know, the weatherman calling to check on you personally isn't a good sign.

Jack Frost started nipping at our noses

 After Divine Liturgy, again, I'm met with the hurried, and almost frantic comments making sure my plans included being at home before the bad weather hits. I'm not sure who was more concerned- my parents or the weatherman! Nevertheless, I was home by the appointed time, and watched the first drops of rain roll in.

Mother Nature turned the tables on us. 

Just rain. I listened to the resident naysayer comment repeatedly " It wont' do anything", and the argument that followed between my nephew and husband " I won't have school tomorrow!"  " Yes, you will"  " No, I won't"  " Yes, you will"  " No, I won't"

Old Man Winter blew in.


I opened the front door, and heard the telltale, almost metallic sound of sleet-like pellets... I knew what was coming  and added my two cents in " no, he won't- it's icing"  Then the argument changed to " It won't stick" ..
I've been down this road. April of 1993 to be precise. It stuck... OH BOY did it stick!

Frosty found his hat and started dancing in the front yard.

Contrary to my family's urgent pleas, it stuck. My nephew cheered, my husband groaned, and I emailed my storm spotter information to the weatherman. 2 inches of ice and snow had accumulated on our driveway by 7 pm. The next morning, it was more, but it had already compacted to 3 inches.

Unfortunately, nephew wasn't feeling well. When I brought in a handful of the wintery mix, he rolled over uninterested. It's amazing how a good night's sleep combined with the bright reflection of an unusually white ground can change someone's mind. He found his way out into the snow and ice, along with Liberty.

Liberty was another problem all his own. He didn't want to go outside, after he felt the ice for the first time, Poor thing couldn't even find his food bowl in the morning. He stayed in the garage looking at nephew like he was crazy! After 3 days of snow, he has learned to slide down the hill on his back, much to Nephew's sheer delight.

We weren't without some beautiful sites. We have pictures posted here . One of my favorite pictures made our house look very Narnian.

Our Lamp Post, near the city of War Drobe in the country of Spare Oom.... otherwise known as "The Compound"

So with that, we dig out of  "Blizzard 2011" and head on to other things, like a periwinkle wedding this Sunday. Hopefully, I'll have pictures to post soon!