Stupid Cold

Michelle has taught us many things on her annual visits here. I've learned much from watching her be a good Mom to her children, and she's shared a few family recipes that live on long after she's gone. She's also taught me about a thing or two about making life fun even when it isn't and she's taught me much about walking with the Lord and living in peace while stress rages around you. She has also taught or reinforced some things with the boys that live on long after she and her wonderful family leave us for a time. Things like respecting your elders, the value of daily prayer time shown by someone other than their mother and so on certainly have an impact in their lives. But perhaps the most enduring thing she leaves behind is just how 'stupid cold' it can get here. And I think she has absolutely no idea just how 'stupid cold' it can get!

As I type this we've already endured 24 hours of wind gusts over 50 MPH, a steady wind chill of up to 20 degrees below zero, and several inches of snow blowing all over the place. Over 500 schools, child care centers and other facilites have closed for the day because of the dangerously cold temps due to the high winds. I actually laughed when the snow plows came through our development yesterday. After all, whatever was left on the road for them to plow off would be almost instantly blown back on as soon as they passed. Or perhaps blown across the road and up against something else for awhile before being whipped aloft for a flight to another road for another snow plow to start the whole thing all over again.

Given the way our house sits, the wind periodically sounds like a freight train coming through and keeps the kids awake long after they should be sleeping. And we won't even mention how the cold just seems to seep in to every crack and crevice of the house. Especially one heated by a heat pump. Like there is some 'warmth' left in the air outside for it to extract and return to our house. Yeah, I'm buying that. NOT. It's pretty sad when going to the basement to do the laundry means you might actually feel a bit warmer because there is no sound of whipping wind to make you feel like you are living in an arctic wonderland. Needless to say, I finished processing Mount Dirty Duds yesterday and even scoured the house for more things to wash just for an excuse to escape the whirling winds on the first floor. Wow. Who knew?

Today we're expecting the highs here to actually get in to the teens. But for now, the temp is a whole 3 degrees, the wind chill is -19, and we're all in for the duration. And by tomorrow, we might add up to 8 inches of snow to the whole mess. But life goes on. Schooling at home means we can do what we want to do regarding school, wrapped up on our cozy blankets, playing math games and reading some good books. And periodically, we look out the window at our barren landscape of a neighborhood and say "Stupid cold! It's just stupid cold!". And we remember just how much we'd like to see Michelle and the kids again because we enjoy their company. And perhaps because we want to share with them just what 'stupid cold' really is. Yes, THIS is what stupid cold really is. What we wouldn't give to be able to share it with them. :)