It's Snowtime!

After days of hearing the local weather people forecast that lots of snow was headed our way, it really happened!  Flakes began to fall around 7 pm last in Washington, DC and it remained steady throughout last night and continues into this morning.

 

I measured 14 inches of snow outside my door and I have yet to see a snow plow come into my neighborhood.  Oh well. . .  The federal government is shut down and so are schools along with most businesses.

 

Yes, my friends, a day off from work is a healing day!!

 

Here's what my part of the world looks like today:

A Blanket of Snow

Pristine Street
No Snow Plows Yet

Hard to Get Front Door Open When 14 inches of Snow Lay In Its Path
 

Freezing Friday

Wow!! What a week!

Between the snow, the ice and the polar vortex of winds hitting the Washington, DC area, it's seems as though it's been a battle of the elements every day.  Fashion has definitely gone by the wayside and staying warm is the priority.  Sometimes the sun is out but I'm not feeling too much difference in the temperature.

 

I am not really a winter person at all but this chilly cold season does teach me to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.  I can't change it so I've got to go with it and get on the other side of it.

 

I try to look at it as another lesson in a different kind of resilience.  As in: I can't control what Mother Nature decides to bring to my area of Planet Earth but I can control my response to her events. 

Snow People Visiting The U.S. Capitol

I can stare and curse at the frozen snowy icy car or I can go out and start it, warm it up and start clearing it off.  It's all about taking a deep breath and just doing it.  And that's when I put one pair of gloves inside another pair of gloves and the same with socks.  It's the only way to make sure my fingers and toes stay warm and toasty.  I don't know about you but if my hands and feet get cold, I'm a goner.  I just can't take it.

So for those of you in warm and tropical climates, I wish I were there with you.  But seeing as I am not, I will be dealing with my Freezing Friday, staying bundled up and taking it a step at a time.

Snow In DC

Wow! This time the weather forecasters were right.

 

We got covered in snow in Washington, DC.

 

Many, many times, snow is forecast for our part of the world and then nothing shows up.  The Washington, DC region is a strange weather pocket that seems to create it's own kind of weather which can be that sometimes the air is just not cold enough and the forecasted winter storms come close to us but then miss us.

 

The weather forecast misses wouldn't be so bad but the local news media hype of what is expected to come our way that always accompanies these weather forecast is what can be the most annoying.

 

These forecasts usually cause people to rush to the grocery stores to grab all kinds of stuff because they think they may be socked in their houses for days.  Bread, milk, toilet paper and bottled water are usually the first things to disappear from the shelves.

 

But this time they were right.  And on top of the snow, the weather people are also saying that today we will get hit with some pretty strong winds.  So check in with your neighbors and see how they are doing and let's be careful out there!

Here's a view of what my neighborhood looks like:

It's All In Your Attitude

Hi Dear Friends!

Yesterday I went for my annual eye exam and of course the doctor dilated my eyes.  I now have to use eye drops three to four times a day.  One is a prescription drop and the other is an over-the-counter brand.  I am just getting used to this new routine and I am finding that it's a lot of drops to have rolling down my face.  Better get some water-proof mascara right?

 

Needless to say, computer time has been temporarily shortened but today I still wanted to post some thoughts about healing and managing life's wacky stresses.

I am sharing a short but wise essay a friend sent me (author unknown) on keeping it together and remembering to jump off the hamster wheel, take break and RELAX.

 

As I write this, it is snowing in the Washington, DC area and schools and the federal government are closed.  Perhaps you are taking an unexpected break today and if you are snow bound, I hope you keep your power and have time to enjoy some down time!

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience,

 

raised a glass of water and asked,

 

"How heavy is this glass of water?"

 

Answers called out ranged from 20 g to 500g.

 

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.

 

It depends on how long you try to hold it.

 

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

 

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

 

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

 

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

 

He continued,

 

"And that's the way it is with stress management.

 

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,

 

as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,

 

we won't be able to carry on."

 

"As with the glass of water,

 

you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.

 

When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."

 

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.

 

Don't carry it home.

 

You can pick it up tomorrow.

 

Whatever burdens you are carrying now,

 

let them down for a moment if you can."

 

So, my friend, why not take a while to just simply RELAX.

 

Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.

 

Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

 

Life is short.

Snowy Surprise

I went to the kitchen window early this morning and expected to see the bare concrete of the sidewalk and instead saw snow covering the ground and all of the surrounding cars and trees.

 

I had heard some talk of snow coming to the Washington, DC area yesterday on the news but the forecasters are usually so far off the mark that I didn't pay attention to their prediction. What do you know? The weather people were actually right this time.

 

So instead of opening the front door and walking outside in my bare feet to grab the newspaper off the front lawn as I usually do, I put on a coat and shoes and stepped carefully through the fresh, powdery snow.

 

I am not much of a snow person but waking up to snow falling is a wonderful, almost cozy surprise and a reminder to me once again that you really never know what the day will bring for you.

 

And I'm also thinking of all those happy children who are waking up and finding out that they don't have to go to school today!

 

Stay warm, dear readers. 

 

Embrace your day and all that it brings!!

Christmas Scenes



Christmas Car
Courtesy of fbc.akamaihd.net

It's Christmas Eve!  Can you believe it?

In some ways, I think Christmas Eve is more magical than Christmas Day.

Maybe it's the anticipation. . .

Here are a few pictures showing the wonder of Christmas that I find comforting.  I hope they bring comfort and joy to you too!  Merry Christmas!!:



Christmas Candles
Courtesy of sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net

Christmas Gates
Courtesy of vintagerosegarden.tumblr.com

Christmas Village
Courtesy of dreamingofawhitechristmas.tumblr.com

Christmas Sled
Courtesy of ullamaijahanninen.net

Christmas Walk
Courtesy of crushculdesac.tumblr.com

Christmas Bucket
Courtesy of robomargo.com

 

Christmas Bow
Courtesy of tumblr.com
 

October Snowfall in NYC

This past weekend I visited some people I love, in a city I love, even though the weather forecasters were predicting snowfall in October.  I didn't believe it would actually happen.  I thought it might be cold enough to snow but I never thought it would actually stick to the streets and accumulate.  Obviously, I was wrong.  By Sunday morning, CNN said New York City's Central Park received 2.9 inches of snow and thousands of dollars in tree damage.

Saturday morning, on the way to New York, it was heavy pounding rain.  Thank goodness I was not driving.  The traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike was heavy and my Vamoose busdriver was a pro!  We left Bethesda at 7 am and arrived in Manhattan a little after 11 am.  I would say that was great time under any weather conditions.

I then met my son, who is a senior at Fordham University, and we ran in the chilly rain to the subway to travel downtown and see the new 911 memorial at Ground Zero.  By the time we came out of the subway at the World Trade Center stop, the rain had turned to big wet snow flakes and the temperature had dropped dramatically.  On the way to Ground Zero, we walked past Zuccotti Park, home of the Occupy Wall Street protesters living in wall-to-wall tents.  I don't know how they were able to stay warm because the city had taken their generators the day before.  I was freezing walking around the city for about an hour.  I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be camping out in a nylon tent with no heat.  The OWS protesters deserve a lot of credit for their steadfast commitment to a critical economic issue that desperately needs to be addressed.

My son and I were both anxious to see the new memorial and we didn't care how harsh the weather was.  The recently televised dedication ceremony on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and all of the pictures we had seen of the site made us want to go there even in the driving rain and snow and see it up close and personal.  But it was not to be because somehow we missed the information that visitors are required to reserve a pass to gain access to the memorial built to remember the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives to terrorism that awful day.

I guess we are spoiled by the fact that in Washington, DC visitor passes are not required at the numerous historic memorials scattered around the Nation's Capital.  You do have to go through security checks but you don't need a pass to gain entrance.  Unfortunately, we didn't see the 911 memorial on Saturday since we didn't have a pass, but we walked across the street to the new World Trade Center Financial building and went inside and looked at the 9/11 site from there.  It was enough for that day.  We felt we had done our best.

In the spirit of sharing, if you do intend to visit the National September 11 Memorial in New York City, you need to log on to http://www.911memorial.org/ before you go to visit the site and reserve a pass because visitor passes are required and will be checked.  Also, you will only be admitted at the time printed on your visitor pass. 

We were disappointed but we're not going to let it get us down or prevent us from seeing the new 911 memorial.  It's worth another try and now that I know the visitor routine, I'm looking forward to going back to Ground Zero and taking it all in.

Paris In Pennsylvania -- 2011 Philadelphia Flower Show

Everyone is tired of the ice, the snow, the cold and winter in general. 

 

For those who are grieving,  winter can be particularly harsh.  As an antidote to this dreary time of year, Sibley Hospital is organizing a day trip on Wednesday, March 9 to the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show.  This year's theme is "Springtime in Paris" and visitors can expect to enjoy spectacular flower sculptures and carousel topiaries as well as lush flowering trees, lilacs, roses and borders of lavender.

Travel Itinerary -- Wednesday, March 9, 2011

8:00 am        Depart Westwood Shopping Center in Bethesda, Md.
11:00 am      Arrive at Philadelphia Flower Show
                      Free time to enjoy the flower show &; lunch on your own
4:00 pm        Depart for Washington, DC
7:30 pm        Arrive Westwood Shopping Center in Bethesda, Md.

Cost per person: $79.00 (includes transportation, entry into the flower show, tolls, taxes & all gratuities

Contact: Kim Grizzle at Eyre Tour & Travel for reservations at 1-800-321-3973