Winter's Impending Arrival

We have had a blissfully light winter so far.  For example, it was about 75 degrees on Friday.  We wandered the back yard barefoot, had a picnic dinner outside and stayed out later still to watch the stars through our new telescope (one of B's birthday presents).  Tonight though, they say winter will arrive with "blizzard-like" conditions --- that was from a random email I received this afternoon telling me that the City of OKC would be closing on Tuesday.  EVERYTHING is closing or closed on Tuesday and not a drop of precipitation has fallen that I'm aware of.  The projects swear there is 100% chance of nastiness though -- snow of something like 8-12 inches, ice, winds of 30+ miles an hour the whole time.  Awesome. Seems like Brent may get to stay home for his birthday and watch the kids while I work as you see, my job will not be closed as 1000 miles away the weather will be somewhat less dramatic.

I managed to mightily resist the inherent urge to go out and procure supplies.  All day I felt like I needed to just go out and buy something so we would be prepared.  Mind you, we have bought more than $500 in groceries in the last three or four weeks so we are well provisioned even after three parties.  It did feel like I was missing out on tradition though.  I also missed the traditional call where my Dad entreats me to come to the farm (where we got snowed in this very week last year while the snow missed OKC).  They do have generators there though... I keep waiting for him to call so we can have this necessary and also some what irrational conversation.  Able did call, mostly just to say hi, and did not try to get me to pack up my family, but was nice.

Meanwhile, my mom and sister both have interesting pre-storm perspectives.  I particularly like the below poem which I've copied from my Mom's blog and is definitely our family's winter storm poem of choice.

The north wind doth blow 

and we shall have snow,

and what will the robin do then,

poor thing,

he'll sit in the barn to keep himself warm

and hide his head under his wing,

poor thing. 

The north wind doth blow 

and we shall have snow,

and what will the robin do then,

poor thing,

he'll sit in the barn to keep himself warm

and hide his head under his wing,

poor thing. 

My hope and prayer is that you and yours are snuggled safe and warm to ride out whatever storm may be headed your way.  (Or maybe blissfully enjoying the sun somewhere?)  I have to admit sneakily here in the moments while we're still waiting that the kid in me sort of wants a little snow to go tromp around in with my littles, and the grown-up who telecommutes has a pretty good gig for this situation too.  

I hear the wind blowing now so it appears the predictions are beginning to come true.  I think I'll snuggle down deeper in my blanket and check-in on my students from my cozy warm house.