A HEARTy Blanket of LOVE

 I refuse to look at one more gray, chilly picture of winter.
 I need to linger a little longer on this last day of February.
 This wonderful month of LOVE was totally overshadowed by SNOW!
 LOVE SNOW!
That should have been the topic of my last blog.
 So, this time I will acknowledge sub-freezing temperatures but embrace the fact that we are a HEARTy sort up this way.

 I long to linger by the sea with soft warm breezes cooling my brow but I consider myself to be an adventurous person.
 I am more hearty than I think.
 In fact, this winter has made most of us more resilient than we ever imagined.
 Shovel-ready arms have grown stronger muscles.
Strong-grip legs seem more able to balance on black ice than I imagined.

 What is even more delightful is to know that, as  I age gracefully I can also stand firm against these elements of nature with robust enthusiasm.

 Yes, more snow is coming but isn't that what March is all about?
 I'll address that another day.

Today, let's remember the significance of this month.
 HEARTS!
LOVE!
 Lingering with a loved one a little longer than was planned and enjoying every moment of it.
Hearts, Flowers, sweet smiles, a reminder of God's love for us.
"I will love you with an everlasting love."
 Ahhhhh, doesn't that sound comforting.
Perhaps I have been so 'wrapped up' in snow that I have not expressed the wonder I have also felt of

being wrapped in the arms of One who loves me forever and always.
 The Lord wraps me in a snow-white blanket of His presence daily as I snuggle into scripture.
  Like snow falling on this little mountain, the words God gives me daily 'blanket' the space around me.  And so, this is a final note for February to remind myself, and anyone else who might read this, of my never-ending love relationship with the One who sends me love notes as deep and as full as a blanket of fresh snow. . .  daily.
 How can I not fall in LOVE.

SNOW!

One might wonder why no 'linger longer' notes.
  We have been shoveling.
The snow is beautiful but it has also been dangerous.
 Heavy, deep mounds turn to solid-rock ice.
We shovel and some snow melts.
Ice turns to glass on streets and sidewalks.
 We are thankful that we have a garage to park our car.
Some people have given up trying to dig out.
But that is winter.  Right?
Actually this area where we live is usually warmer than the surrounding area.

We experience milder temperatures and usually do not have much snow most winters.
This year is different.
 The sky decided to grace us with moisture during one of the coldest winters I have experienced in a long time.
A long cold spell is not bad but when it is combined with snow drifts higher than my eyes, it does make for challenging days.

I'm not complaining, though.
We have heat and electricity.
 We have plenty of food.
We have our health.
We are still quite strong and healthy.
We actually love shoveling.
So we are helping those who have not been as blessed as we have been.

 Today the sun shines.
Tomorrow we will see more snow.
Notice how WHITE and GRAY everything is?
I think we need a little color  here.

These holly berry bushes were wrapped in ice soon after I took this picture.
 When the ice melted, the berries were shriveled and fell off .
Thankfully, birds ate the remains.  At least the bush was of some use.

Ahhhhh, snow.
So nice to look at but . . .
We do think it might be nicer in Sochi.
At least we can enjoy the Olympics from a distance and wonder if those people who really love winter would rather be here . . .  where there is REAL snow . . . and REAL cold.

Just think.  We will have stories to tell the next generation.
  In the mean time, I choose to take one day at a time and delight in the days we can drive on dry roads.



Ice clings to red sticks as winter lingers long and hard.
Ice, like a blanket, wraps around spindles and holds nature in a trance.
What a grip.
What beauty.
We wait.
Spring melt will soon be here.
Snow
Ice
Cold
White
I linger a little longer and ponder the wonder of God's hand while I sip tea and watch winter from inside our warm home.