Mountain Mama

Snow Day(s)

It started Friday morning with a 6am phone call--a Robocall from Owen's school. Delayed two hours. We turned on the radio, listened to the announcements of all the other school closings. Every district except ours closed for the day. We turned on the porch light and, sure enough, it was coming down, a light dusting already on the deck and ground and trees. Coffee and breakfast and two excited girls and we hear that, yes, our district, too will be closed.

Paul had to go in to the University. Last final exam day and the University never closes because most students are on campus anyway. Except that many of them were planning to leave after their last exam and now...

Predictions were all over the map--4 inches, 6 inches, 14 inches.

Barely daylight and the girls were anxious to go out. I was briefly a crazed Mommy, forgetting what it's like to be a kid on a snow day. Owen's been watching Frosty over and over on DVD and was dying to make a snowman. Barrett wanted to go with Owen because Owen was going. I couldn't find their mittens (my mom has bought them some for Christmas but that didn't help for now) and only had one pair of boots, claimed by Owen although really she's outgrown them. I put Barrett in her suede Merrills and socks on their hands and sent them along. Paul slip-slid his truck along to work. My dad walked down from his house and spent the morning playing with the girls--building a snowperson, sledding, snowball fights.

 

The snow turned to sleet and then rain, which kept accumulation down.

Didn't keep the girls down. We went through three changes of clothes (kept getting soaked through and coming in to warm up and I couldn't put soaking wet clothes back on them).

The snow began again in earnest. We were getting reports of roads closed. Worried emails and phone calls flew between friends with loved ones traveling in it. Paul finally made it home (after going into the ditch and being pulled out by our neighbor), and we settled in, happy to be safe and warm and together. The power went out along the valley, but not for us. We just lost our Internet service for the night.

 

Saturday morning we awoke to a world in white. 

Pancakes, then dressing in layers and out there quickly. Just running around. Going for a walk. Sledding. Then more sledding. Then more.

 

The sun came out for a while, but then the clouds returned, but no more snow. And the roads were pretty much clear. My dad took Owen Christmas shopping (for gifts for us) and we went on to the store, because, of course, we suddenly needed lots of groceries.

Then home, and soup (what did you expect?) and wine and warm and indoor play and baths and bed.

Good days. Fun days. Snow days.

One year ago, today

It snowed a bit.

 

You can read my post about it here, for a little flashback.

Blessings

I didn't mention this earlier, but we did hang up our Thanksgiving Tree this year. My photos of it are no good because Owen wanted to put it in the hallway for some reason, instead of our usual place on the back of the (true) front door (not the "front" door we actually use). No matter. It still is in the middle of things, right where we can see it every day and remember our many blessings.

Here are the items listed on this year's tree:

"For my mom and her willingness to always help." (Wesley)

"Elephants." (Barrett)

"Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins."

"Paul." (Wesley)

"A Light of Character Award."

"Leaves." (Barrett)

"A family supper."

"Owen." (Barrett)

"Paco."

"Molly."

"S1." (Paul)

"For my sweet girls." (Wesley)

"Maryann and Daisy and Don." (Samantha)

"A helping hand." (Wesley)

"Grandpa Bob."

"Owen's first lost tooth. And the tooth fairy."

"Grandma Margaret and Grandpa Al."

"Barrett." (Owen)

"Grandma Dallas."

"Me." (Owen)

"Rain." (Owen)

"Apples." (Barrett)

"Teachers."

"Flowers." (Owen)

"Daddy." (Barrett)

"A nice family dinner."

"Owen's teachers: Miss C. and Ms. B."

"Mom vacuuming my house." (Wesley)

"Happy greetings from my girls." (Wesley)

"Owls." (Owen)

"Owen's help with dinner."

"Samantha."

There were a few unintelligible scribbles from Barrett and posted by Owen before I could translate them. Nevertheless, we are truly blessed with all of these items and all of the thanks I've posted this month and all of the gratitudes that zing around our table when Boo graces us with her presence at dinner.

I think it's true that the simple act of giving thanks opens one's heart. I've felt that each day this month as I've placed myself in front of the computer with the task of enumerating my blessings for you. Even on those days when I have not been at my best, I have been lifted by the practice.

So today, as last year at this time, I am thankful for...thanks. For the opportunity, the impetus, the chore, the practice, call-it-what-you-will, of giving thanks.

And to you, for listening, in your way.

30 Days of Thanks :: 28

Today I am thankful for...

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park;

a walk in the woods with my little family,

just the four of us,

and the trees,

and rocks,

and moss,

and sky,

and mountain stream,

and the air, oh, the air to breathe.

I needed that.

I think we all did.

 

 

 

 

30 Days of Thanks :: 27 Owen Jane

Today I am thankful for...

my beautiful, shining Owen Jane.

She has such a happy, bright spirit about her.

Today was an ordinary day off. Paul went in to work, I worked at home ironing most of the morning, while Barrett watched DVDs and Owen played on the computer. She likes to play games on Peep and Nick Jr. She's getting quite skilled with using the mouse and navigating the windows by herself. Except that she accidentally printed too many of a picture she didn't want (she was playing a trick-or-treat dress-up game on a Backyardigans site).

When she was done, she sat beside me at the table eating lunch, her printed images stacked between us. She looked thoughtful, as if mulling something over.

"Why can't I sell my pictures, Mom?"

Not sure to what pictures she was referring, I asked, "What are you talking about, sweetie? Who are you planning to sell pictures to?"

"My friends and family."

"Well," I said, "I don't think it's very nice to take money from your friends and family for your pictures. You should give them from your heart."

"But what if they're free?" she said, earnest now. "What if I sell them for free?"

"I guess that would be okay, then."

Suddenly, she was at the craft bin, pulling out paper and markers, asking me how to spell words. She made a sign, then asked if I would help her bring a tray table and chair outside for her. She even had me put a placemat on the tray because "It's all messy and no one wants to buy something when it's all messy."

Initially we set up under her tree, which is on the side of our driveway, on a hill looking down our little road.

 

Eventually, we moved her down to the end of the driveway, closer to the road, so that she could get the traffic passing by.

 

Unfortunately, the only customers she had for a very long time were all the neighborhood dogs. Six of 'em. One neighbor did drive by, but she looked right at that sweet little smiling girl and passed by with just a wave.

Owen finally decided that the essential flaw in her business model was that the pictures were Halloween in nature and Halloween has already passed.

"Do you think I should have Christmas pictures instead? Do you think people would buy them, then?" she asked. "If they're free."

"Maybe so, sweetie, but I think you should draw your own Christmas pictures."

"You mean instead of printing them on the computer?"

"Yeah. People really like handmade things."

I didn't mention the other flaws in her business plan--like she was positioned on a road with only three houses on it, very little traffic, at a time of day when everyone was out at work anyway.

"It's okay, Mommy," she said. "Daddy will buy one. He promised." (I had called him at his office for her to tell him about it.)

And, of course he fulfilled his promise. When we saw his truck turn in the road, Owen ran down to man her station. She was grinning from ear to ear and jumping up and down when he stopped. Paul looked ready to burst with joy at the sight of her.

By the end of the day, after having relayed the tale on Facebook, I had five Online orders for Christmas pictures (and one for a Halloween print).

That girl.

I am so thankful for the gift of that girl in my life.

30 Days of Thanks :: 26 Thanksgiving

Today I am thankful for...

Thanksgiving Day, in these mountains I love with the people I love.

 Happy Thanksgiving. I pray that you are spending it among those you love.

30 Days of Thanks :: 25

Today I am thankful for...

not having to drive I-40 West from Raleigh to Asheville today (the worst day of the year to drive that particular stretch of highway);

enjoying the treasures and pleasures of my hometown (the one I grew up in);

gingerbread houses; grand inns; a giant fireplace with the sleigh right where Owen remembered it; terraces on which to run out some energy; 

new/old holiday traditions.

30 Days of Thanks :: 23

Today I am thankful for...

Kindergarten Thanksgiving plays;

cute little turkey girls with costumes too big;

little sister calling from the audience, singing along, waving her hands in the air;

Daddy coming home to play Monopoly Jr. Dig n Dinos (without the rules so we half made them up);

a night ride to pick up snacks for the class tomorrow, playing "Name that animal sound" in the car with Boo Bear on the way;

a short work week, a sweet family, a sweet life.

30 Days of Thanks :: 20

Today I am thankful for...

kind neighbors, near and far, Online and otherwise, one of whom is pictured above, and another of whom sent me this wonderful quote today:

"You see, I believe that appreciation is a holy thing, that when we look for what's best in a person that we happen to be with at the moment, we're doing what God does all the time. So in loving and appreciating our neighbor, we're participating in something sacred." --Fred Rogers

Amen to that, Reverend Fred. And thank you, neighbors.

30 Days of Thanks :: 19

Today I am thankful for...

my brothers,

this one:

And this one:

Both of whom will be coming to our house for Christmas.

I asked Owen the other day what she remembers best about Christmas and what is her favorite thing she remembers about Christmas. She told she remembered that Uncle David came into her room Christmas morning, woke her up, covered her eyes, and carried her into the living room, then pulled his hand away to reveal the tree and all the presents.

"That was my favorite part," she said.

All summer she has said she can't wait until Christmas because Uncle David and Uncle Stephen and Grandma and Grandpa and cousin Cassie and all of us are here together.

Even Barrett asks for Uncle Stephen regularly--a car pulls up and she'll tilt her head and say "Uncle Steben?" (She doesn't remember Uncle David much, but I'm sure after this year she will).

I love that my girls love my brothers. I love that my brothers love my girls.We're lucky to have such great men in our lives. I know others who aren't so lucky--whose brothers are gone, or who don't have any, or who aren't close to their brothers.

Thanks, big bros. Can't wait to see you.