"ignore the story. see the soul. remember to love. you will never regret it" --- Seane Corn

"ignore the story. see the soul. remember to love. you will never regret it" --- Seane Corn
it's a jungle out there

Monday, March 1, 2010

snowmageddon recap


Are you sick of hearing me bitch about the snow? Well, I'm sick of talking about it. And looking at it. And shovelling it.
And driving over it.

sick. of. it.

Our schools have been closed since Wednesday. And who the hell knows when they'll open up cause half the town is without electricity. And since our town
which calls itself a city harumpf has no proper snow plows, the roads are still not particularly clear. School buses can't get through, and some of the schools don't have generators. There are trees down all over the place. Half the traffic lights are out and the city haha is so ill equipped that a state of emergency was declared last week.

That declaration isn't helping much except to say
it's still really fucked up here

We had a great weekend though. Actually, a great week. There was something about the never ending snow days and being snow bound and being able to do nothing other than ride out the storm, that was... liberating.

I couldn't do
anything.

I couldn't run errands. I couldn't go to work. I couldn't go to yoga. This left me essentially
conflict free for the whole week. No juggling. No need to set priorities. No running around like a lunatic. No stress over how to get it all done and what was gonna suffer for not getting done. Cause you know it NEVER all gets done.

All I really had to do was feed the kids, and shovel snow.

It was awesome.

After 2 days I lost track of time and half the county lost electricity. Thankfully, our lights stayed on.

Thursday night, as the snow continued to fall, we saw crazy blue green lightning out our window. The boys came running upstairs, asking if we'd seen it too. Jack started getting texts from his friends
did you see that?

The blue green flashes were transformers blowing.

Well, that was the beginning of the
PAR-TAY at Michelle's house.
Boy, was it fun...

3 moms
1 dad
1 sister/friend/aunt recovering from surgery
5, 6, or 8 kids, depending on the time of day
3 dogs
1 fat cat
a turtle
a fish
some sea monkeys
and an olive tree

DAMN it was FUN
did I say that already?

Loud, chaotic, funny fun fun. We spent the days shovelling, cooking, listening to music, tripping over dogs and snow boots, and cracking up. Jordana
who can bend steel with her bare hands pushed like 7 cars out of neighbors' driveways. She's beast like that. The dryer didn't stop as there were always wet snow clothes, sock, gloves and boots that needed to be ready for the next venture out in to the ridiculous snow. The kids dug tunnels and foxholes and had snowball fights for hours. Bruce cooked. Yum

It was a crazy, raucous, cold, wet, fun, snowy blur.

And I got to hold the little one on my hip and feel her head grow heavy on my shoulder and hold her warm sleepy self on my lap for like
a whole hour. And she slept on my chest and I put my cheek on her baby head and smelled her hair. And Bruce walked by and patted my shoulder and said how is that, Chica? it's been a while since I've seen you like that... how does it feel?

It felt good. I though about how Ms. Moon enjoys the feel of a baby sleeping on her chest. Damn, there's nothing like it.

Saturday night their electricity came back on. Our house emptied out and it was suddenly... quiet. Like really really quiet. Usually I love the quiet, but this felt more like a
vacuum. Ty got all red and blotchy. He wanted everyone to come back. The fun, raucous life we had been living for 2 days was... gone. And we felt an unexpected loneliness.

I found myself over the course of our snowy sleepover being thankful that my house had electricity and I could provide these two moms and their babes a wee bit of shelter from this wee storm for a wee bit of time. I thanked god these two moms and their kids and dogs and recovering sister could come here and take a hot shower and stay warm and eat hot food
because a year ago...

...a year ago these two moms
saved my fucking ass

they sure as hell did

the Universe is Abundant


15 comments:

  1. So sorry about this winter. It's horrible. My family in Delaware is still in shock. Out in the middle here, we've gotten off pretty easily, and we always get our roads plowed.
    It's lovely you found such blessings amid the weather and the chaos and you got to hold -smell! a baby. Lucky you, amid the chaos.
    Thanks for such a sweet post. I hope winter is done with you for a while.

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  2. I got to hold a little baby last night too! It was at a funeral home...but still. He was obsessed with pawing at my boobs. I swear I felt my milk let down a million times. (I weaned Elijah in August...ok September).

    The snow has been horrible and they're telling us to be prepared for more later this week too. Just the thought of it makes me feel sad. :(

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  3. How in the world do y'all deal with this sort of weather? We would crumple and die.
    Maybe you ought to pack up and move south. Or...just glory in the community you have.
    Spring WILL come.

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  4. I loved reading this post but admit that I HATE snow with all my heart. I'm with Ms. Moon wondering what the upside is? I hope it all melts and your spring is gorgeous very very soon.

    In the meantime, I love the comments about how you were sort of freed from the burdens of "too much going on." I wonder why we all can't do that on an ordinary day?

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  5. I think that there is a lot of kindness to go around in this world. I'm glad the snow gave you a chance to share your home with others.

    I tell you, I love reading about your world, Michelle.

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  6. That's a great way to sit out a blizzard. Or any type of weather, really. Love, babies and food. All you need.

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  7. I am in Wisconsin and I am jealous of all your snow. We had 1 snow day...everything is melted.
    Please send it our way...

    Beautiful crafts!

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  8. yeah, im with you on being up to my eyeballs in snow. lots of missed school, lots of hassle. CANT WAIT for SPRING!!!!

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  9. this is the second time in the last 24 hours i've been reminded that many hands make for light work.

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  10. I find myself missing chaos more & more often. The craziness of children everywhere . . . I even fantasized about being pregnant again

    You're right...there's nothing in the world like a baby sleeping on your chest.

    I guess I just have to wait to be a Granny.

    I'm glad you were blessed with this opportunity.

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  11. You are a brave, BRAVE woman, with a stunningly acute sense of humor that seems to provide constant buoyancy, no matter what. I LOVE that about you.

    P.S. CD of MadriGalz is at my office waiting for me to find the right envelope to send it to you. I'll let you know when it's on the way. Interestingly, my older son was home this week and we listened to it tonight for the first time in a long time. I'm sure you'll be able to hear all the flaws, but I'm completely confident your irrepressible buoyancy will let you hear the love, too.
    Love, love.

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  12. It sounds like you guys truly made the best of the snow. I'm jealous about the fresh baby holding...oh, there's nothing like it.

    You guys are having a helluva winter!

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  13. Snow, babies, people who save our asses, and an olive tree. Who could ask for anything more? Ah, yes, for the snow to stop but for the rest to stay put. Unlike most people I love snow. The quiet suits me like a well fitted glove, and I love to wear my fur coat to bed. Yes I wear fur because I love snow but hate cold and the animals were already dead when I bought the coat. After twenty years is still as warm as the day I got it. And so it doesn't matter if the electricity is off, we cook with gas anyway and read by candle light, have a fire if we don't run out of wood. And then Spring comes and its disorder of blossoms starts the old routines all over again. Beautiful in its own right, but not quite the same. Love from here.

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  14. for all you haters, i LOVE snow. i really do. it creates quiet moments at home or really FUN times sledding or being together, working together, helping each other. this is mother nature's reset button. it is time to rest & regroup. and when those first warm days come and you can wear your t-shirt outside (unlike bruce who always wears his outside but he's from MN) you rejoice in the warmth and appreciate it in a way you wouldn't otherwise. those 2 days were probably the best days i've had in a LONG time. thank you snow! thank you MICHELLE:)

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  15. I really enjoyed this post; you wrote it well. And now I am craving a sleeping baby (that's not my own.)

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so... wadaya think?

Your fairy is called Columbine Icedancer
She is a bone chilling bringer of justice for the vulnerable.
She lives in mushroom fields and quiet meadows.
She is only seen when the bees swarm and the crickets chirrup.
She wears lilac and purple like columbine flowers. She has icy blue butterfly wings.