Samhain Publishing

With apologies to our Southern hemisphere readers, I’m going to be Northern-hemisphere-centric today. Brrrrr!

The call came at 5:50 this morning. School’s two hours late. Now, most people would be able to roll over and go back to sleep, right? Don’t have to get the kids up early, more time to get ready in the morning.

Not in our household.

My hubby works for the schools, so he was out of bed and running through his phone tree, calling everyone on his list to let them know school would be late. Of course, for staff, that means “get here as soon as possible”, because there are always parents who don’t see the notices on TV or hear the announcement on the radio. Or look at the inches of snow on the ground and think there’s a possibility school might not be on time.

And, of course, there are the return phone calls from staff verifying their branch of the phone tree has all been contacted, or wondering if there’s a chance school might be cancelled instead. Both of us end up lunging for the phone, hoping the near-constant ringing doesn’t wake up the kids.

No such luck there, because even without the ringing phone, kids have a sixth sense when it comes to snow days. Somehow, the same children who have to be dragged out of bed every morning, whimpering and pleading for just five more minutes, bounce down the stairs forty-five minutes early because it’s SNOWING! And can we go outside in the pitch black RIGHT NOW just in case it melts before the sun comes up?

In our neck of the woods, snow is a once-in-a-while event. We might get two snowfalls a year, which last a couple of days at most. So I understand their desire to get as much fun out of it before it goes away.

This storm, though, shows signs of lasting through Christmas eve and maybe beyond. And now that I’m an adult, the unadulterated delight of a fresh snowfall is tempered a bit by thoughts of emergency preparation and driving conditions and heating bills.

Still, I can’t seem to stop peeking out my office door to look out the basement window. And those falling flakes never fail to bring a smile to my face.

Even when they’re responsible for waking me up before six AM.

Years ago, my mom and I were talking on the phone while I was away at college. We were in the middle of a nasty cold snap, so cold they actually cancelled classes because of fear for student health and safety as we walked between buildings. I’d like to leave you with her advice, especially if you’re dealing with cold weather today, too.

“Today would be a good day to crawl in bed with a good book. Or someone who’s read one.”

What’s the weather like in your area? And do you have a good book to recommend on a cold winter day?