Old Man Winter

The city is covered with ice on this January day. The sperm donor is working from home, the day care is closed, and this now working mom is home too. Earlier, I thought it was snowing (as it is north of here), but the sperm donor explained to me that sleet is composed of pellets and snow is composed of flakes. It's all white to me.

Once this ice storm clears up (not any time soon, according to the local news), I would like to declare an end to winter. Anja has seen more winter in her nine months than I have in my thirty-something years. Towards the end of our holiday stay in Albuquerque, fourteen inches of snow dumped in my in-laws' back yard. There were the sperm donor and his mom, all bundled up, shoveling snow from their driveway. The snow does not shut down their city as completely as the ice does here. The sperm donor's aunt had a small holiday party at her house, and the sperm donor's mother drove us slowly and cautiously there and back in her all-wheel drive without one slide.

I'm not a winter girl. This south Texas girl is all about spring and summer. I get cranky if I don't see the sun for a few days. I would rather sweat than shiver. Being cooped up in the house waiting for the ice to melt is about to make me crazy. But I have to admit - the snow in Albuquerque was quite beautiful. I had never seen that much snow in my life. The scenery really did look like all of those photos of winter I have seen in magazines and Sierra Club calendars. The snow on the ground looked like a fluffy warm velvet blanket, until you got closer to the street where it became a dirty slushy mess. Each little tree branch carefully balanced its spoonful of snow until the weight was too much to bear. The snow covered neighborhood was very quiet and peaceful.

But it wasn't enough to make me want it full-time. SUN!! I declare you come out!!!

Sigh...

It is a nice day to lie around and read books. My precious daughter is napping on the bed next to me. She slept all night last night (a rare occurrence) so maybe she likes this weather. I think I'll catch up on some blogs that have been running in my head.