Winter Wonderland

Well, I suppose this means I’m relinquishing my long-standing belief that blogging is not for me. People change right? I suppose this merely adds evidence in support of that proposition. Instigators of such personal change vary widely depending upon the person and the situation. For me, it was a pine-tree that resembled a frosted cupcake. Indeed.

On this beautiful winter solstice of 2010, I awoke bright and early and listened to the sounds of my younger brother getting ready for school. After a few minutes of debate, I rolled out of bed and looked out my window eagerly anticipating my first sight of the snow that had accumulated since the night before. My childhood love of snow still lingers, and my heart beats with excitement on winter mornings as I look out my window to check for new snow. The pine tree in my front yard (affectionately dubbed a “forest” by some of my friends) has always served as a visual measure for me as I ascertain the amount of new snow that has fallen. The branches of this plump tree collect snow and hold it out in such a way that allows me to easily estimate how many inches of goodness fell from heaven as I slumbered. But this morning, the snow was so thick on the upper branches that the collections of snow had grown together, and such a measurement was not possible. It looked almost like a frosted cupcake, something right out of Candyland, or perhaps even one of those cream cheese-frosted pumpkin muffins that my roommates and I made on one particular Muffin Monday. My snow-loving heart leapt with elation, and I had to share the joy with everyone. (Hence the blog . . .)

In addition to frosted trees, today will likely go down in history as the first ever snow day in Nebo School District. During my school years, we never once missed school on account of the snow. I distinctly remember one year in which the snow accumulation sat around three feet. Church was canceled that Sunday, but the following Monday, we were expected to brave the snow and be in our school desks promptly at eight o’clock. As young students, we often questioned our teachers on the very existence of snow days, and they assured us that snow had never hampered Nebo School District from educating its pupils as usual. But today my lucky younger brother was informed that school was canceled and he was free to frolic in the snow to his heart’s content. Lucky bunny. Although, I suppose I am one, too, considering that I also get to frolic in the frosting-like snow. Anybody up for building some snow-penguins?