So...We've made it this far! Trust me, I wasn't too sure I would survive this Winter in Texas!! With FOUR (4) consecutive snow days in our neck of the woods, and all of my family snowed/iced in at our house, it's really any one's guess who or how many are going to come out alive!!!
At our home, we measured 6 1/2 inches of this nasty white stuff! It was pretty for about 12 hours and we all enjoyed the 'newness' of it all.... and then reality hit! This white stuff started to seriously inconvenience our lifestyle. I mean, I always have enough food in our pantries and freezers to feed a small army, but when you are snowed in and KNOW that you can't get to Wal-Mart, there's just something inside of you that screams to you! It's an incredible craving for some sort of food that you NEVER have the ingredients for in the pantry. It's some sort of dish that you only make in summer months and never dream of wanting in the dead of winter, but just let it snow 6 inches or so... and you better believe you want it!
Also during this time in North Texas, we were getting ready for the Super Bowl. I have never realized that so much hoopla surrounds this stuff. I'm not a big football fan anyway, but the endless days of news coverage about the preparations and how it was all being affected by the snow, was enough to make a crazy person sane!
To add to all of the winter fun and craziness in our home, I decided that I would attempt to move some ice and snow off of our driveway. Notice I say 'attempt'? When I say that ice doesn't move and it certainly doesn't have any bounce in it... at all! I know this first hand!! Oh that's right - I fell smack dab on my big butt and landed with my left arm underneath me. Well......two weeks later I am still suffering with a broken elbow! Luckily I only wore a cast for a week and the orthopedic recommended that I go without a cast to avoid having my elbow lock up on me.
I had no idea how many actions are associated with moving my left arm and elbow - it's been a very painful two weeks, but I can tell that it's getting better and finally the task of buttoning my pants doesn't make me shriek with pain. You can imagine how disconcerting that is for people outside of the bathroom door and what they might be wondering about me. :)
As we all know, yesterday was Valentine's Day; and as with most holidays, I'm less than impressed. My attitude seems to have worn off on Briley. She was totally put out by having to give cards to kids that she really didn't like (ahh, the joys of 4th grade), much less having to bring strawberry syrup for ice cream sundaes they were planning to make during their Valentine Party at school. Briley isn't the normal kid, she does not like ice cream or really anything too sweet, and to add insult to injury she is allergic to the strawberry syrup she was asked to bring. So as far as she was concerned, this whole party business was just a bunch of nonsense! (I tend to agree.)
Oh well.... she took the syrup and the cards to school and was nice enough... I suppose? When she made it home with all of her party goodies, she sorted through the stickers and such that she liked, but the rest will promptly find their home in the trash. Ahhh... gotta love our quirky kids!
What's my point to all of this? I'll tell ya'.... it means that we are almost finished with this nasty winter weather business. Spring is near....flowers will soon be popping their heads out of the ground, and I can get back to wearing my flip flops!
I've made it through another depressing holiday season, another winter of Arctic air blasts, and the gloomy dark skies - come on Mother Nature!!! Don't fail me now!!! Bring on the sunshine and warmer temperatures!
