Wishing everybody a wonderful Holiday Season!

I woke up early and cracked open the shutters.  More snow!  Lots more.  Oh dear.

See, David had to go back to the island for work and Emily went with him to visit some of her old friends from her high school days and they were going to take the ferry back tonight after Dave got off work.   

But I don’t know if they are going to be able to make it.  I’m worried about them navigating on these snowy, snowy roads.  The snowplows working overtime, but it’s impossible to keep up with it. 

In the middle of the night I woke up to the sound of the plow outside the house, but this morning on our cul-de-sac it looked like nobody had been here.

Don and I suited up and shoveled the drive again.  Now normally we would wait until the snow had stopped, but we needed to get out and get our free-range turkey from the butcher shop and it is always a zoo there on Holidays and so it’s best to get there right when they open, and besides we don’t know how much more it will snow and if the roads will become impassable.

So, off we went.  I drove because Don gets very nervous driving in the snow here because of all the hills.  Whereas I have lots of experience driving out here, know how to down-shift, steer into the skid, etc. 

It makes me feel proud that Don feels safer when I’m doing the snow driving.  Makes me feel like a competent, strong, all-purpose woman.  Makes me feel good.

The drive over to get the turkey was really slippery, but it was pretty too.  All that snow and enrobed Christmas lights twinkling and glowing under their caps of snow on the bushes and trees.

The store wasn’t open when we got there, but we could see through the darkened window people bustling around getting ready for the rush.  A big huge rental truck parked out front, engine running, stuffed full of the days turkeys.  So, we went to the Safeway and picked up a few more essentials (chocolate, ice cream, potato chips and so on.)

Then back to the butcher’s shop.  There was only one person in line and lo-and-behold, who should pull up but the main butcher (his wife was also the one by the wheel)  and apparently there had been a huge crash on the highway, a semi-truck and a bus.  “Oh dear,“ I said, and thought of my boy, Dave trying to drive him and his sister home tonight. 

“It’s going to be another half an hour,“ the butcher said.  “Why don’t you go get yourself a cup of coffee.“

So we did, but then as we were sitting down to enjoy it, I got a funny feeling in my belly.  “Honey,“ I said, “Let’s go back to the butcher and wait there.  It’s only 12 more minutes and the parking lot is getting fuller.  So we got lids for our drinks and went back outside and it was a good thing we did because there was at least a dozen people in line by now.  By the time we got into the store it had swelled to over 30. 

Phone calls had been flying back and forth between us and Dave.  David still wanted to come, I was worried.  Then I got the good idea to see if the Safeway would let him park there and we could shuttle him and Emily back to the house, because the main highways are usually kept pretty good during storms, it’s the hilly side-roads, like the one we live on that are the problem.  But I’m good with that and we have 4-wheel drive and last week I scored some snow tires too!

Anyway, the snow hasn’t let up since we picked up the turkey, so I don’t know how it is all going to turn out.  But it’s cozy right now, with the Christmas music on.  I’m sitting at the kitchen table typing to you, Don’s puttering in the kitchen and Will’s at the table as well, working on the 3-D holographic puzzle that his Grandma and Grandpa sent to him from England.  The Christmas tree is sparkling and glistening with Christmas magic and memories of Emily, David, Will, Don and I gathered around decorating it this last weekend when we finally had gotten everyone together.  And I’d forgotten what a difference the decorations make, because we had put up the tree and hung the lights earlier in the week and that seemed pretty special, but NOW… It’s truly BEAUTIFUL!

I’ll be right back.  I’m going to check the drive to see how much more it has snowed in the last hour and a half since we got back home and had to re-shovel the drive because a couple inches had fallen while we were out, and you have to stay on the snow pile up, because if you drive over it, it makes it that much harder to shovel it later because it packs it down.

Be right back!

Oh good, it’s not so bad.  Only a little over an inch.  I took a measuring tape out with me.

Although, one inch in an hour and half means that if this keeps up, there will be another 7 inches by the time the children hope to be here.  But that’s on top of the two feet we already have.  And that’s only if the snow doesn’t pick up.  It’s snowing pretty solid now, but it’s not coming down as fast and furious as it was when we were at the store. 

Anyway, I’ll let you know what happens. 

We’ve decided that if Emily and David are unable to make it, that we’ll hold off the festivities until they can.  Because Christmas can be just as magical and wonderful on another day.  If the heart rejoices and the family is safe and healthy and together, and we have the luxury of a warm house and good food and the good fortune to have been able to afford a few presents, how lucky is that!

I’d like to wish all my blogging buddies the very HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS!  xo

Much love, Meg

Posted by Meg Tilly on Wednesday, December 24, 2008 in Chewing the Fat

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