Warm & Fuzzy – CoronaLife Day 278

Christmas is my favorite time of year. Even this year, which has been missing some of the traditions of the season, still gives me a glow. I stop and look at our beautiful tree every now and then. We mixed white lights and colored lights and this year I think we got the mix perfect.

It’s also snowing, and I don’t know about you, but my brain kicks into “snow day” mode when that happens. I don’t feel much like working or doing anything except watching the snow fall until I inadvertently take a nap.

I’m really looking forward to Christmas break this year. Normally this break is a time of year to spend more time with family, but since we are all home 24/7 since March, that part of it will not change. However, taking a break from remote schooling will be nice, and sleeping in is good any time of year.

Will I get any writing done over the break? I’d love to say yes, but past history of the rest of this year says no. It’s been a difficult year, writing-wise for me, and I see no reason why Christmas break will change that. But perhaps I will have a Christmas miracle and get some words on the page.

Right now, I am in a warm, fuzzy, snowy, Christmas-y mood, and that means no real productivity at the moment. For me, that’s part of this time of year—an ability, perhaps even a permission, to remove yourself from the regular hustle and bustle of life. As a kid, I used to take a book and sit next to the tree and read by the colored lights. My daughter likes to lay behind/under the tree and just stare up through the branches. Placing yourself in a different world is part of the magic of the season.

And maybe, after the year we’ve slogged through, that’s what we need. A moment to be outside this world and all its cares and woes. We can’t escape it long, not as adults, but if we can grab enough of those moments of peace, maybe we can emerge from this Christmas season refreshed, ready to face 2021 with whatever it brings.

No matter what holiday you celebrate, I want to wish everyone peace and joy. We certainly all deserve it, after the year we have had.

The Blizzard Bust

Okay, so normally I would not get excited about getting 2 feet of snow. My back can’t take all the shoveling, I hate the cold, and I’d worry a lot about losing power. But so far, this hasn’t been a bad winter, so I actually got a little excited about the prospect of a big blizzard.

The main reason is because my 5-year-old daughter is the perfect age to enjoy a snow of epic proportions. Being only 42 inches tall herself, 24 inches would be more than half her height. She would have a blast playing in it. Although she herself said to me, “But I would need a grown-up with me, in case I got stuck.” I looked forward to her reaction.

Another reason is that 2 feet of snow would have almost certainly kept my husband home from work, so we could have traded off time playing with Preschooler while the other one got some work done. After all, with Preschooler home from school I don’t have my normal two hours to work.

And I enjoy the quiet that comes after a big storm. No one on the road, few people walking. And of course, if you do lose power, it gets REALLY quiet. I’m not a fan of that type of quiet, though. But a certain peace settles over the world, and you cuddle up with your family and enjoy a day removed from the normal hubbub of modern life.

So, 24 inches.

We got about 3 inches.

Which, as it turns out, was okay, because my daughter is sick and wouldn’t have enjoyed it anyway. Having discussed before how I still love the thought of snow days, I will admit to mixed feelings about avoiding this winter storm.

My inner child might be pouting, but my adult common sense thanks the weather gods for the reprieve.

How did you fare in the blizzard? Are you happy or disappointed?

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