Snow days and holidays / January 2019

In the hour and a half between walking Sparkly Eyes to Brownies and Dancing Toes to Guides, sleet turned to snow and started settling on our streets. “It’s scattering down” declared my delighted youngest daughter. And Rhythm Dude returned from rugby practice with more grin than mud, having played as the smow came down.

Our small town is never deemed a priority for gritting, so can be brought to a virtual standstill with a relatively light fall of the white stuff. However, this meant the buses weren’t running so the boys couldn’t get into college and had the delight of a snow day.  HWH did have to get to work however, and the boys helped dig him out and he went off with a hot flask as well as lunch in case he got stuck.

I love seeing so many families out enjoying some bonus, unplanned time together. There is a hill nearby where everyone gatherers with toboggans; it’s fun and good to catch up with friends.

Our hens, however, weren’t impressed at all. It’s the first experience of snow for the two we bought at the Show in the summer, but as I’m not convinced that chickens have any memory to speak of, it probably felt like a first for our old mama hen too. One of the youngsters hopped out with her usual enthusiasm as soon as I opened them up, and if a chicken can look surprised, she did. After less than a minute she was back in again.

Snow makes so many things look beautiful, including our old apple tree.

We amassed our pile of snow books and had a cosy read aloud time, with hot chocolate, marsh mallows and cream. “Snowflake Bentley” a favourite of mine which always comes out whenever it snows, was greeted with “Oh, that one again!”  by one of the boys. I guess there’s a balance between the security of tradition and embracing the new.  Sparkly Eyes still enjoys the picture books, Dancing Toes asked for the Jill Tomlinson chapter book, and we all continued listening to “Winter Holiday” by Arthur Ransome on audible; most appropriate for today.

Now a day on, HWH and the boys found snow on the hills, but the blue skies and sunshine had cleared much away  when the girls and I set out to the shop.

In the midst of an often dull and tedious time of year, an unexpected day off routine, time to be with family and friends and to be out enjoying the incredible beauty of God’s creation always feels like a gift. I think we’re all the better for it.