Have You Had A Winter Adventure?

Let me state that I am not a fan of winter. Snow and cold weather have no appeal to me. Oh they did, once, a very long time ago. All the neighborhood kids would gather on top of a big hill with our sleds and round dish looking things. We’d play until we were in danger of frost bite and then my brother and I would drag our sleds home and go thaw out next to our electric wall heaters. Our skin would burn like fire but we would warm up and then go back out the next day.

Fast forward a few decades.

Things have changed. I don’t have electric wall heaters and I don’t like being cold (unless I’m in the middle of a hot flash).

Since we live in southern Kentucky we don’t have a lot of snow anymore and we don’t have as many months of winter as a lot of you do, so I know you won’t pity me. But when we do have cold and snow we don’t seem to handle it very well. Lots of traffic accidents. No one can get out of their driveway. Everyone gets on Facebook and complains because there is no milk or bread left in the stores.

Early this week about 9 or 10 inches of snow fell and we still haven’t recovered. My son’s truck is stuck beside our driveway and my 13 year old Cocker Spaniel has to be shoved out the door to go to the bathroom. Yesterday my daughter called and her husband had been to the doctor. Unfortunately, he has the flu and is very sick. She didn’t want to risk the children getting the flu and so after she went home and checked on her husband, she and the babies spent the night here. Add to that mix, another granddaughter whose school was canceled all week and one of the twins friends who happened to drop by and spend the night. All total there were 9 of us here last night, not counting the cranky Cocker Spaniel.

The Winter Adventure Begins

This morning my daughter and my husband went to work. I awoke to discover that the hot water was frozen and something was wrong with the heat. As hard as I tried I could not get the house warm.

The twins and their friend were helpful (not) they threw some wood in the stove, wished us good luck and left. I heard them mumbling to their friend as they went out the door, “This place has turned into a daycare. Babies always crying. Dirty diapers stinking in the trash can. We try to stay gone as much as possible.”

Breakfast

I looked around to see what I could feed 3 hungry grandchildren. Oatmeal! That should warm them up! I fixed it and they ate a few bites but it turned to glue and they turned their noses up and refused to finish. Can’t say as I blame them. I had to take a fork to get it out of the bowl.

I opened the fridge to find something else to cook them and a shelf fell out. Lemonade splattered across the floor and onto my cold feet. I got towels and threw them over the mess, dried my sweet feet (ha ha) and looked for socks.

In the back of my mind I remembered seeing some new socks some where.  I finally remembered that when my other 2 year old granddaughter was visiting she put them in a toy shopping cart and pushed them in the den.

Once I had socks on I helped the 9 year old granddaughter fix some eggs and toast, which they all liked much better than my gloppy oatmeal.

They were such troopers about the heat not working (at first). They snuggled up together on the couch.

The closer it got to nap time, the grouchier they were. After sloshing through lemonade and watching Disney Channel under blankets, they weren’t the only ones getting grouchy.

But nothing compares with the feeling of a baby sleeping on your chest. Soon all my troubles melted away (like I wish the snow would) as I snuggled with my grandson.

Then I hear my granddaughter say, “Nana, my toes are freezing. I can see them! They are sticking through my blanky and they are frozen!”

My oldest granddaughter had an idea. She got a blanket and the two of them sat on a heating vent in the floor.

My husband assured me over the phone that he can fix the heat when he gets home. I hope so. If not we may all check into the only motel in town. No cable or wi-fi but I’m pretty sure they have heat!

Stay safe and warm wherever you are and remember that winter doesn’t last forever. Spring will be here before we know it and if even one person complains about warm weather…..I may just have to smack them up side the head!