The Storms of February, 2010

We thought we were pretty lucky this winter. We had some snowfalls of 6 to 8 inches, one time a foot of snow was recorded, but Philadelphia and Washington, DC, etc. always seemed to get it worse. We were almost through February and it would be a downhill slide into the warmth of Spring. Stupid Groundhog! I had a feeling when Punxitawny Phil saw his shadow that there would be trouble. We got socked the last week of February, setting snowfall records for our area, as well as Scranton and Wilkes Barre. Yes, I know - Philadelphia set new records for the season. We set new records for largest one day amounts in February, as well as records for most accumulations for February - all in one week.

The good news is my car is in the garage - the bad news is my car is probably going to stay in the garage for about another two weeks. Five foot drifts would test the will of anyone going anywhere if they do not have to. We have my husband's car, which we parked down by the end of the driveway before the snow hit - wise move. After the snowfall, getting to the car was another matter. Neat foot path - we may drive the car up to the house in a couple of weeks too.

I am thinking more about Spring than I normally do, but what I am really looking forward to this year is painting our living room. It has taken us 4 years to figure out what color we would like and it is - beige! A cop-out to be sure, but we have paneling all through this house and, as I have said before, we are afraid to pull it down for fear of what is behind it. For example, if there is no drywall, then we have to put that up first, then paint or whatever. So the idea of what color to paint, or wallpaper over the paneling becomes a major conundrum. So we are going the easy way out with a pale beige so at least this tired paneling is covered and if we have to paint again, we are not trying to cover a bolder color. Four years - cannot rush these things.

We also need some other things looked after around the house. After all this snow - oh, yes, the total is about 3 feet and it is snowing as I type this - I am sure there will be many surprises awaiting us under this white covering. I would like to have some electrical problems resolved, as well as some steps added to the walk behind our house. And the garden again - this year we hope to grow more than squash, or at least I hope to grow other produce. There is always hope...

Reflections on Joy

I am not sure why I have been thinking about the concept of 'Joy' lately; maybe because we had so much sorrow over the Christmas with the sickness and consequent death of two of our cats; or maybe it is the doldrums of winter. Our winter has not been that bad, so something triggered this pondering of feelings.

Joy, to me, is something more than happy or even happiness. Joy is something that is accomplished, or anticipated. For example, the Biblical concept of Joy was experienced upon the birth of Jesus, as that was anticipated and desired. Not to compare ordinary life with the Joy involved in the Savior, but a feeling of Joy stays with you and does not come around often.

My earliest memory of feeling Joy was when I was 4 years old (yes, I remember back that far - it is last week I have a problem with). My father brought home - what looked to me then - a huge two-wheel bike that someone had cast off. He fixed it up, painted it, and never put training wheels on it because he said it was time for me to ride a two-wheeler. So I excitedly went with him onto our dead-end street and got on the bike that he had fixed up for me. The basket on the front was bigger than me! My feet barely reached the peddles! But I was going to ride, because my father said I could. He held on to help me get on, then pushed - yes, pushed - me up the road. Fell on the front curb, but I did not cry (wanted to). Back up on the bike, then he pushed and yelled for me to peddle - peddling might of worked, but now there was this telephone pole in front of me - hit that! Try again, but now that my mother has realized what was going on, my father runs beside me and gets me to peddle, gives with a little push (enough of the pushing!) and I go into the neighbor's hedge. At least that was softer... Two more times into the hedge and now my father is threatening to put the bike away until next year - a whole year? So, one more time and I avoided the hedge, the pole, the curb and I was riding! Turning and stopping - not so much (my father had to catch me) - but I was riding! Joy!

The next time I remember Joy was the day my brother was coming home from Viet Nam. The anticipation, the praying, the watching my mother age before my eyes while he was there, were all resolved when he walked off that plane. Damaged in so many ways, as we found out years later, but at that moment - Joy!

Our wedding day, in spite of the threat of rain and a rampaging mother because of a messed-up catering order, proved to be a day of exhaustion and abject Joy.

The last time I have felt real Joy was for my 50th birthday party. I was happy to live to that point, happy to have my husband healthy and next to me, happy to have my friends share my happiness. Things got all screwed-up when I went back to work the following Tuesday, but that night I experienced Joy. I hope those people who were there that night saw that - they really have not seen it from me since.

I am happy. I love my husband, our Pocono home, our cats. I feel a thrill watching the moon, the stars, the sunsets and sunrises. The mountain and lake views we experience take my breath away. I am not complaining, I am just reflecting. I hope you do as well.