And God said,"Let there be SNOW!"

so yeah, man plans and God sends SNOW to Atlanta.  Big, wet, soft incredible white flakes of beauty falling gently down.....blanketing the universe as we know it.  stirring things up, sending big yellow buses back in service early to get all the wee ones back home safe with parents fighting through the crazy drivers and grocery aisles in search of provisions......for here in the south when weather comes we know we may never ever ever be able to buy bread again. 

our plans completely tanked......my home is 45 miles north of Atlanta's city center.....so a hike.  i live in the midst of country roads.....if you go seven miles one way you reach a major artery, if you drive seven miles the other way you hit a well used connector......but first you have to drive through those little country roads......without benefit in the initial hours of snow plows or trucks bearing sand for traction.  nobody has snow tires or chains so driving is a high risk proposition.  better to stay in.  better safe than sorry.

or as sam confirmed....our plans were in the dumper.  once i notified the kids, talked to my sister in law......my brother was at the congress center delivering a paper.....and i forgot to ask what his talk was about.  what a sister i am at times......i told eser about Christmas the year i was 8 and 3/4 years old.  in our family one must be 9 to receive a bike.  it was a huge excitement and honor to reach this age and be presented with a beautiful bicycle.  a bicycle meant freedom........travel, adventure.......growing up. 

as i clammered down the stairs that Christmas morn i saw the front end of a brand new bike.....my heart was hammering in my chest.....and then i saw John riding MY BIKE!  i saw red........outraged i flew into him......trying to grab MY bike, stop the madness and hopefully maim him for life......

next thing i know he's off the bike and brother Daniel is climbing on........riding bikes in the house indeed!  but RIDING MY BIKE was surely the highest of crimes imagineable.......i wailed and pitched the best fit i could muster.

later that day i took my unbelievable beautiful blue schwinn out in the snow and attempted to ride it.......on the ice.  i had never ridden a bike so it was a surprise to no one but me when i was pitched headlong into a snowbank. 

so we never got to go to the pig and the pearl.......i got to have a lovely chat with Eser.....(pronounced Ess sair) (my sister in law).

we are going to try again to meet up on Sunday evening weather permitting......sara won't be able to go......which stinks, but sam & i will do our best to represent.........at some point i'll call and make a new reservation, think positive and maybe it can happen?!?!

they return to DC on Tuesday......

i pulled the curtains back this morning and watched the snow dancing and swirling to earth.  what a lovely performance....lying in bed watching God painting the world white........thank you for your wonderful ness......as much as i want to see them i really didn't have the what for to go......mental determination yes, physical power iffy.......so thank you God for taking it out of my hands.  truly.....

my childhood sled is leaning against a pine tree ...... sure would like to ride it down the front yard hill.....oh to be a child again......sitting on the sled, mittens tinged with snowflakes......getting in position on the wooden slats of the sled......the ropes in my hands...testing the turning radius before the initial launch.

cheeks beginning to turn red from the cold and exertion, sitting there surveying all of the kingdom before the big ride......unacustomed to wearing a puffy thick coat, wrapped up in a crazily long muffler round the neck & head......all those extra layers.....a ridiculous winter hat jammed down on my head........woolen pants lined with felt over my skinny white legs......galoshes from back in the day. 

do you remember them?  they were thick black rubbery monstrosities - we used to put bread bags over our socks & shoes to keep the snow and ice from getting our tootsies wet!  we really did!  momma would wrap us up in so many layers to ward off even the merest hint of a winter germ from tangling with her babies........so thickly coccooned that it was hard to navigate our legs and feet on the newly glistening snow.  the sound of it.....that lovely crunch underfoot.  the smell in the air.......crisp, fresh......exciting and inviting.  sledding was grand.......if you've never i hope one day ever you get the chance......it's wonderful!