New Roads

Late winter is by nature a time of ruts.

There are ruts in my driveway, ruts in my schedule and ruts in my menu planning.

So when Jan suggesting a quick trip to civilization for supplies this week – I jumped on it!

Then – to spice things up even more – he took a new road.

What a simple concept with profound results.

Instead of driving the well known and frequently traveled highways – we turned off. Suddenly everything was different.

We meandered over country roads never really sure what was around the next curve. We crossed over sketchy bridges and looked deep into unknown ravines.

We drove through tiny little towns and wondered about those who lived there.

And slowly our perspectives changed.

The late winter constraints that bound us relaxed their grip.

We talked.

We laughed.

We dreamed new dreams.

And yes, we eventually made it to civilization. We bought the needed groceries, the mineral for the cows and the tractor parts; but this trip wasn’t about the destination.

It was all about the journey and seeing things in a new way.

It was about jumping out of the ruts and banishing the doldrums.

All that because we took a new road.

Checking Cows

Every afternoon when Jan comes home from work, he grabs a snack while I grab a coat and we head out for a walk.

The official term for this jaunt in the winter afternoon is “walking the fence line” or “checking the cows”.

He can call it whatever he wants – but I call it the best part of my day!

It’s a perfect excuse to hold my honey’s hand and hike across the frozen pastures, catching up on the days activities.

And – since it’s also the one time during the year that I can walk freely anywhere on the property with no fear of poison ivy – I’ve been in and out of ravines and to every remote corner.

These walks, however, are not without their hazards. There are always thorn trees, the evil multiflora rose bushes and the dreaded blackberry vines to scratch you and impede your progress.

Not to mention the the occasional slip on steep banks or frozen cow pies to trip you up.

And I guess one of these days we’ll actually find the cows.

And they won’t be where they are supposed to be.

And the fence will be down.

And our peaceful walk hand in hand through the pasture will turn into a cow chase and a trudge back to the barn for fence supplies.

But that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

‘Cause there’s something pretty wonderful about soaking up the late afternoon sunshine while walking hand in hand with my husband.

Frozen cow pies and all.

Ice Skating

Maybe we don’t want to get too serious about the January lists – not yet anyway.

Maybe we can squeeze in a little more vacation time.

Maybe we should throw the list away one afternoon and make a memory.

Seize the moment when the temperature is right, the ice is thick, and the kids are willing.

Dig the skates out, find the thick socks and enjoy the fresh winter air.

Nothing fancy. Just chore coats and warm hats and second hand skates on a farm pond.

No triple axles or anything quad.

Well…okay. Maybe there were a few quads. But they were unintentional ones with painful consequences.

Then we’ll top the afternoon off with hot chocolate while warming our toes in a grandma quilt.

Perfect.

Lists will wait, but kids grow up.

Cute Shoes/Cold Toes

I’ve been looking longingly at my cute shoes for several days.

It seems like it’s been months that I’ve been wearing my warm shoes to church. You know the kind – the black ones that allow warm socks.

To be honest – these shoes did look cute in November. They were actually appreciated in December and January.

But it’s the end of February now.

And I’m over them. And winter. And snow. And wind chill factors.

Since we had a slight spring-like thaw during the week that melted much of our snow – I caved yesterday.

I wore my cute little flats to church – they ones that you do not wear with warm socks. I actually wore no socks.

My husband’s eyebrows went up as I put my coat on. He might have even smiled at my gasp when the cold north wind touched the tender bare skin on my feet.

He kindly pointed out that the air temp was a balmy 20 degrees as he turned the heat on high and redirected it to the floor vents of the van.

He took one last look at my footwear and said, “Sure hope we don’t have car trouble and have to walk five miles with this wind chill.”

I smiled back – but thought to myself, “Me too!” Because I currently couldn’t feel my toes.

They thawed slightly during church and the potluck meal that followed – but were like ice by the time we drove the thirty miles home.

I found my thickest, warmest winter socks and a comfy grandma quilt and spent the rest of the afternoon warming up with several cups of hot tea.

And today it is snowing.

Good-bye cute little flats.

We’ll try again when spring decides to stay.

Now That’s a Crazy Idea

You will never guess what I did Sunday afternoon.

It wasn’t your typical Ground Hog Day activity.

While the rest of the country was preparing for Super Bowl parties – my husband and I planted bulbs.

Yes bulbs. As in spring flowers.

Yes, the ground is frozen.

Yes, there was 4 inches of snow on top.

And yes, I realize that this is an activity that most real gardeners took care of last fall. But I’m not a real gardener. I’m a real wife and mom who likes to pretend to garden and sometimes has to fly by the seat of her pants.

We had every good intention last fall. We extended the flower bed and laid out a new one. We got several bags of top soil at a rock bottom clearance price. We even bought almost 400 super cheap bulbs on clearance.

But life happened and we just never got the top soil out of the bags and in the beds. So the bulbs never made it out of their bags.

Finally – the boys just filled both bare beds with the leaf mulch they bagged up just as the snow started to fly.

My 400 bulbs were not planted.

And the top soil was still in bags – now frozen solid.

But just when it seemed like all was lost for this season – my amazing husband had a plan.

What if we raked the mulch back to expose the frozen bare ground? Then we could lay the bulbs out on the ground, put the frozen bags of top soil on top of them, and push the mulch over it all.

What a crazy idea?!

So we did it.

We planted 400 bulbs in less than 45 minutes – and that included pushing the wheelbarrows of frozen top soil through the snow from the machine shed to the flower beds.

We cut the plastic off the bricks of frozen dirt and laid them out like a puzzle.

And boom! We were done!

But will it work?

Time will tell.

But it does my heart happy to know that I planted a little hope for spring even as the snow is flying.

And we might have given the neighbors something to talk about. Again.

Photos by Anne Burgess and Pam Brophy.

Missing…

Excuse me…

But have have any of you seen my schedule? You know – that thing where you allocate your time during the day so that you actually accomplish something?

I seem to have lost mine over Christmas.

It’s 9:00 in the morning as I write – and instead of checking math and going over a grammar lesson, I still have 3 sleeping students.

What’s worse – I have an overwhelming desire to eat chocolate and play around on Pinterest.

I really need to find this missing schedule.

I thought it might have gotten mixed up with the decorations – but I didn’t find it among the snowmen.

Maybe it’s packed away with the Christmas lights? No – I was missing it long before that.

Now that I think about it – I lost it just about the time Matt came home. So maybe I left it at the airport. Or maybe he took it?

No. It’s gotta to be around here somewhere.

I checked the family room – but all I found was a jigsaw puzzle. It’s almost finished now.

When I looked in the library I discovered a book and a warm quilt. There went an afternoon.

I haven’t checked the game cupboard.

Oh look! It’s Bananagrams!

Anybody want to play? We could eat chocolate!

Oh wait – that’s right. Gotta find that schedule.

Off the Beaten Path

What a blessing to have a little more daylight at the end of every day!

Now there’s enough sunshine to enjoy a walk in the late afternoon when my husband gets home from work.

At first we followed the trails in the pasture, sticking to the known, the usual, the predictable.

But then yesterday – in a spur of the moment decision – we veered off the path and walked right across the ice on the pond.

You know – it’s rather freeing to stand in the middle of a frozen pond and look back at the shore.

It’s a totally new perspective.

We continued on our walk, but this time – enjoying that taste of freedom – we left the trail and took off cross-country through the woods.

We followed deer trails and scared up bunnies as we zig-zagged around low branches.

We jumped over the ravine, discovered bobcat tracks, and watched several deer running in the distance.

Amazingly, we were just a few yards from our regular trail – but everything looked different.

New.

Unexpected.

Yes, that’s the word. Unexpected.

After weeks of routine – cleaning, school, laundry, meals, groceries – it was wonderful to find something unexpected.

The trails had become predictable. We had followed them so often we know what was around every corner.

It was time to take another route, to see things from a different angle.

To feel alive again.

Creative.

Refreshed.

We just needed to step off the beaten path.

A Good O’ Snow Storm

I love a good snow storm.

The temperature drops as the wind picks up, blowing fresh snow, closing schools and roads.

Everything stops.

The calendar gets cleared.

My busy day turned into a vacation day.

I can hunker down in my nice warm house with my family around me and rest.

No schedule. No obligations.

There’s a bit of excitement in the air, almost a holiday atmosphere.

The kids sleep in.

Fresh scones for breakfast – maybe some homemade hot chocolate later.

No traffic goes by.

We’re isolated in our little world – surrounded by a blanket of white.

The wind howls.

The furnace hums.

And my soul rests.

Later, when the wind dies down, we’ll pull out the sleds and the cross country skies. Ready to slowly rejoin the rest of the world, reveling in the stillness and beauty after the storm. Refreshed after our unexpected day off.

But now is the time to cocoon.

For hot tea and warm quilts.

For jig saw puzzles and family games.

A time to savor home and family.

Oh yes, I love a good snow storm!

Welcome Back Winter

Well hell-oo winter!

I guess you’ve decided to show up after all – and how!

After a very mild fall, and weeks of above normal temperatures, you finally arrive with below zero wind chills and snow flurries – overnight.

Really? Couldn’t you have broken us in gently?

One day I take a walk in jeans and a hoodie.

Just 24 hours later it takes me 15 minutes to don insulated coveralls, boots, a winter coat, ski gloves and a stocking cap just to get the mail. Talk about full battle gear!

All together that pile of winter wear weighs over 5 pounds.

You know there’s nothing like a pair of insulated coveralls and an extra 5 pounds of weight to make a gal feel ladylike and feminine!

And there is absolutely nothing very positive that one can say about “hat hair” – especially hat hair full of static from the dry cold.

Okay winter – I’ll admit that you hit us with hard left-hook, but you haven’t won this round!

Yes, I know that the electric fencer isn’t working, both the hydrant and the water in the cow tank are frozen, and the satellite internet is spotty.

But both cars started, the well is still running and the furnace is working just fine!

And the sun is out, the cows are staying in the fence, and I have running water in the house.

You may have knocked us for a loop – but you haven’t beaten us yet! You just make us tougher.

So there.

Anybody up for a winter walk? 🙂