I am bruised, tired, sore, and just plain worn out. These past two weeks kept me up to my snow pants in shoveling. Add to that some downed tree limbs and I might as well just start singing the Lumberjack Song. (It may not be so funny with me singing it… I already wear women’s clothing…)
I’m not alone in snowy misery. Most of the Midwest and Northeast felt the same pain. Alberta Clippers, Saskatchewan Screamers, and Manitoba Maulers just keep raining down from our Neighbors to the North. O Canada, won’t you please send some back bacon and hunky Mounties instead? Eh?
My area is in direct fire of these winter storms – snow, ice, freezing rain. Rinse and repeat. I stopped watching the local weather. It’s just the same story every day.
At least the sun shines while the kids and I are out there shoveling in the cold. Some might think the bright light is mocking us, I just think it’s a beautiful world with that soft, fluffy, diamond sparkling snow coating everything in virginal white.
The world looks so clean. Pure almost.
Until the snow plow gets stuck on our street in front of our house. Yes, even snow plow drivers can’t avoid the ice.
He’s not the only one who floundered.
I finally broke down after three days of immobility and called for help as well. The tow truck driver had to winch my car out of the driveway. Yes, my own driveway. How pitiful is it when you get stranded at home. Not even a cool story to go along with my stuckness. Just tried to go forward… couldn’t. Tried to go backwards… couldn’t. Like they say in the song – Stuck In The Middle With You…
While I can’t keep those winter storms from dropping their issues on my front porch, I can choose not to accept personal drama… those clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right…
Today is a gift and I have the same 24 hours as everyone else. With purposeful living, I can make the hard, but necessary, choices that I need to make to move forward in my goals, friendships, and growth. If I’m not careful, I can very easily let this day, year, or the next decade slip away by getting distracted with people and problems that don’t do me any good.
My time is limited and valuable. Keeping this in mind, it’s easier not to get upset by time- and energy-wasters.
I could have complained and stewed about the continual snow removal and the aggravation of sawing and hauling many downed branches, but I didn’t. Hey, there were people who lost power, lost property, and lost loved ones. I am lucky. I had free time to bake (and I’ll post some new recipes over the next few days).
Those tree limbs that fell down? The weak branches are pruned and I don’t have to worry about deadwood falling on me as I mow the lawn this summer. My car getting stuck? At least it was at home, where I have heat, hot tea, and a bathroom, instead of on the side of the road thirsty and hungry and cautiously eyeing an empty Big Slurp cup. Shoveling, shoveling, and more shoveling? My elliptical is acting up again but I got a good workout moving the snow. I also had the chance to hang out with my semi-adult almost out the door kids, hear about their daily lives, funny jokes, and drink piping hot chocolate afterwards.
Tomorrow is Groundhog’s Day. It doesn’t matter to me if Phil sees his shadow or not. I know Spring will come again and my daffodils will bloom. Kari, Juno, and Linus might hang around here for a few days but they will move on as sure as the world turns.
Quite amusing. We’re watching the Superbowl, the commercials, and the second snow plow driver to get stuck going up the hill of our street.