Small Scribbles

John comes into our bedroom after midnight. "It's snowing!" We have a hard time working up much enthusiasm on account of the late hour and the fact that southern snow is just a tease. We're New Yorkers and haven't seen a good snow in all the years we've lived south of Mr. Mason Dixson. "Go back to bed," Stuart grumbles at John and we scooch together and sleep. This morning, I feel around the nightstand for glasses and stumble groggy from bedroom past white windows. White. Snow stayed and piled up. Piled up . "Stuart! Stuart!" I shake him frantically out of sleep. Get the camera! It snowed! I'm going to wake up kids." He looks at me with squinty eyes like I've lost my mind but moves quick for one woken rudely out of sound sleep. The kids pile out of their beds and put on woefully inadequate snowgear; they wade into snow and troll puddles for it has rained nearly half a foot in the last few days. They forgo breakfast for time is...

I feel a bit left out in the winter when bloggers post gorgeous winter pictures .  Smallville gets some cold days but the mound of leaves on the pool cover, the puddle at the end of the driveway... and brown, everywhere brown do not make interesting subjects for the camera. But spring comes and it is my turn to share beauty as snow slushes in the north. Seventeen last week, seventy this weekend.  Peepers roar from the ponds and the puddles and a warm wind blows.  The forsythia buds ... ...and the daffodils burst forth through the brown leaves and light a spark in the brown woods. Hang on, you who are winter weary...spring is just around the corner.

1. Stringing up the Christmas lights and raking the yard can occur simultaneously. Today, we divided into two teams and took care of both jobs. These festivities were punctuated every fifteen minutes or so by the reveberation of a shotgun as our next door neighbor scared a flock of Canadian geese out of his back yard. 2. It was cold today as we worked out in the yard so, we bundled up in our sweaters (three or four apiece), our mittens and our toboggans. For those of you who are doing a double take...toboggans are hats down here. I guess the southerners felt left out. What's this, ya'll? A word we have absolutely no use for? I know. Let's change hat to toboggan. We'll show those Yankees. 3. Sometimes it snows. Well, it's only snowed once since we've moved here. The children dashed outside in their pajamas. I didn't call them back in to get dressed. It was a good thing. The snow melted before breakfast. 4. Southerners find innovative ways to create snow...

I get overwhelmed occasionally by how isolated it is here in Smallville. It's a six hour round trip to a decent playground , the science museum or the zoo. Yesterday was one of those days. I clicked my heels together and wished us anywhere but here. Apparently my sneakers are not magical. So I did the next best thing because sanity was hanging by a very thin thread. We shoed up and went for a leisurely walk around the neighborhood to look for things to view under our new microscope. Crabby Road Faith is singing. Faith is always singing. Claire holding Charlie's hand and a specimen bag. She's collected a little more specimen than her bag will accomodate.

Two years ago we were pushed from the nest.  A church nest. Never one we liked better. It was soft, a place that drew us in and gave us comfort. It was strong too, woven with the iron of men and women of depth and character and faith. A busy place. We were a whirlwind of activity, flitting from event to event. We learned a bit about teaching and leading there. We really did love it and never would have left but life pushed us out and we landed mewling and more than a litte quizzical a few states away. And for the past several years, we've been looking for a new nest. One that is strong and comfortable and challenging. We've tried to make ourselves at home in two since we arrived. They were of the traditional variety as the majority here are, constructed with pews and suits and hymns. One was weak and sagging; pride and indifference threatened to tear it to shreds. The other didn't need us. Oh, they were happy to see us each Sunday but all the jobs were taken (kitchen help...