The White Before Christmas

I like snow.  I don't say that real loud because there are many people that loathe snow.  But, I love snow. 

During the past 24 hours, there's been a blizzard bearing down on Iowa.  Therefore, it's time for me to make bread.  I equate homemade yeast anything (rolls, bread, cinnamon rolls) with snowstorms.  Mom always would bake when there was bad weather...so I have been conditioned to think that if it's nasty outside, it's time to warm up the oven and get out the flour.

Snow storms could either be really good =electricity, plenty of food in the pantry, lots of family and friends, board games, jigsaw puzzles, toboggans, hot cocoa, warm fire, the snow beautiful and airy.

Or snow storms could be bad  = No electricity, no food (one time I college I had a carton of stale cottage cheese and a six pack of skunky beer- that was it), no friends or family, no wood, heavy snow where the trees get weighted down and the limbs break off,  so cold you don't want to go out (I remember negotiating with one of the family pets--I had to make a little area where the dog could potty.)

But, there's part of me that wants to be looking out the front door window in the house in State Center.  From this window, we could see the street light and judge the quality of the snow.....heavy, fluffy/ strong winds, no wind/ big flakes, ice pellets.  We used to be our own "Al Rokers"-- the caterpillars were especially numerous with thick coats-- a bad winter for sure-- the barometer was falling like a rock--here comes some precipitation.  12 inches of snow fell in State Center today-- goodness sakes!  Here's my brother, Dan Malloy, cleaning his driveway in Des Moines.  All of Iowa felt the effects of the storm.

But, it was the magic of sitting by the radio listening to KFJB in Marshalltown waiting to hear if we had school that was the most fun.  Yes, we had to make up snow days, but having a day off at an odd time was like finding a frozen Snicker's candybar in the freezer--it wasn't the norm but it was sure good. I loved hearing that there would be no classes held in the West Marshall District.

I even liked snow days as an adult.  I especially loved snow days that cleared up by noon so I could go shopping.  One evening (when Bill and I lived in Centerville, Iowa, and I taught fourth grade), there was a forecast for a bad storm that would hit in the middle of the night.  I stopped by the local grocery for the necessities-- toilet paper and cat food.  I ran into the president of the school board that evening at the store-- he had toilet paper and cat food, too.  He looked at me and said, "I can see where our priorities are."

As a teacher I liked to get to school early.  One morning it was snowing like crazy but I felt sure they would still have school  I left home in my little red car and promptly got stuck.  The snow wasn't too bad, so I just walked to Lakeview Elementary.  It was about a mile....I got to work and the janitor met me at the door and told me school had been called off.  I turned around and just walked home.

So, I'm having my own "snow day" here in Central Georgia.  I have the Weather Channel on, I've baked bread, and I haven't left the house...and the thermometer still says 62 degrees.   I've loved the snowy photos on Facebook-- I'm showing you one that Jeff Merrill took of downtown State Center early Thursday morning.  It is a picturesque town and it means the world to me.  Nothing is prettier than a small town covered in a blanket of fresh snow!

I need to go take the bread out of the oven.