No, it's REALLY not a Snow Day, I'm so sorry

What a morning.

It started at 6:52am, when a phone call woke me up, but Emily spoke to the person on the phone. I really wish she'd come up the stairs and passed the phone to me, but she didn't (she didn't want to wake me up, and I appreciate that). What she understood from the conversation was that not only were the school buses not driving, but that the school campus was closed for the day. Wouldn't this have been ironic, when I had just finished telling someone yesterday how things are never cancelled here due to snow. "Everyone knows how to drive in the snow, the plows get out there, and everything goes on as normal," I wrote on a Facebook thread.

I was so skeptical of this supposed news, given the minor-looking snowfall outside, that I immediately went to my laptop and looked at the school website for confirmation or denial. Nothing. However, there was email from Jason's school, saying that school was open, if you can get there, and don't worry about delays. I kept checking the site, and finally up popped the news: All campuses are OPEN. Some buses are not running due to "mountainous terrain." Well, we live up on a hill. I wouldn't call it a mountain, exactly.

In any case, poor Emily. So sad. Last year we had a day off school when trees fell into the school's only access road in a heavy late spring snow. She was so hopeful for another day at home. But her wicked (and adventurous) mother insisted that if school was open, we were going. Away from your novel and back to making your lunch, please!

Meanwhile, it turned out that David wasn't feeling any better than he had last night, and was staying in bed with a cold. He usually takes Jason to school, which is in the opposite direction from Emily's school. Hmmm.

I took a look at the driveway, decided I would shovel again, and carefully did NOT take a shower beforehand. Furthermore, I dressed appropriately: in a T-shirt under my ski parka, instead of my seasonal turtleneck and sweater :-) The ground was icy under the snow, but I enjoyed the shoveling as always. I informed the kids we'd be leaving together and soon, and we piled in the car (now safely post-shower & with warmer clothes on!). Our road had not been plowed yet (not until 1:30pm), but it wasn't bad. In fact, we had no problems at all getting first to Jason's school, then backtracking and heading to Emily's school, and then I carried on to my ladies' Bible study. By the time I got home again much later, my skid warning light had blazed about ten times, but nothing scary. People were careful, and God answered all my prayers for safety. So I'm really not too sure why they cancelled the buses. Maybe because Emily's campus has a new director, from Australia via Singapore?

I was wondering whether any of the other ladies would show up for the Precepts study on Prayer, but since they come from places like Canada and Iowa/Minnesota, or have lived places like Germany and Romania, or are just plain determined, we were all there, plus a new person since last week. Cool! We practically gave high fives to each lady as they trickled in one at a time with relieved looks on their faces.

I stopped to pick up some delicious Huusbrot at the gas station on the way home (a yummy kind of whole-grain, crusty bread with very soft insides), and was given a scratch & win card - I "won" a Corny Free Chocolate granola bar. The "free" part refers to the lack of sugar, but it contains an unspecified "Süßungsmittel" (sweetener) which sounds very suspicious to me - I prefer my sugar plain and simple from the cane or beet, not chemically manufactured. I ate it after lunch anyway, since one would not want to waste chocolate in any form, would one? (no)

Arriving home, the driveway needed shoveling again. But first I brought lunch to my beloved in bed and we ate together. A nice weekday treat, even if it takes illness to achieve it...

I am starting to run out of places to put my lovely driveway snow. I managed to find spots, and even shoveled a pathway for the cat (yes, the one who drew blood yesterday; I have forgiven her). While in the back yard, I stuck a ruler into the snow on the lawn: 9" deep (24 cm). Cool! I know it's nothing compared to what you had in Virginia a few weeks ago, but I'll take it!