This is what it looks like today, out my front door, here in southwestern PA. We're slated to get 4-8" of the white stuff, but this afternoon when it switches over to "wintry mix" it might slack off. Ice is rather flat by nature, so it slows the accumulation. For the second week in a row (last week it was just freezing the diesel fuel in the buses), we cancelled Bible study. So I get to STAY HOME! I think I feel like the kids do, when they hear, 'no school today'. Except the School Superintendent, who just moved here from Ohio, didn't cancel school. 230 others did. Oh, wouldn't you love to be his secretary today, when all those mothers start phoning, wondering if he lost his everlovin' mind, subjecting little Timmy to the dangers of riding the bus on snowy roads...?

Anyhoo - after about five minutes of deliberation, I decided I could live without a haircut and highlights today, and rescheduled that appointment. My whole day just opened up. Don't you love it when you have plans, and life happens and they all get cancelled. So here's the alternate plan, sliding into place.

#1 Bake these cookies. I've had this recipe for about 25 years, from a neighbor up the street in North Dakota. My husband's favorite. He didn't get a cancellation notice today, went into work, and gets to drive home in sleet. I've taken on the Nancy Leigh DeMoss 30 Day Challenge, to love your husband. So today, I'm loving him by baking his favorite cookies.






#2 Then put this in the crockpot, because the day is perfect for it. Something that simmers all day, and makes the house smell wonderful, to greet him when he walks in. The fact that we get to enjoy it while we watch American Idol tonight - perfect. What can I say? I'm a simple girl, and sometimes a cheap date. Cooking this makes me feel like I'm related to Diane - sounds like something she'd whip up on a snowy day. (And when I put on my boots, and walked to the end of my driveway today, there in the mail was a homemade valentine from her. How sweet is that? Thank you, Diane xoxo)







I'm serving it with bisquick cheese biscuits and a tossed salad. And no, my biscuits will not be homemade, like Diane's would undoubtedly be.

Then, I did this post last week, attempting to recreate the world in 24 hours. I did accomplish a lot of it. Thank goodness Sarah's birthday package was mailed yesterday. I thought, as I drove to the post office, aware of the weather forecast, how blessed we are to be given 48 hours notice 'it's coming', so we can all rush to the store and buy toilet paper, milk and cereal, just in case we get snowed in for the next three weeks. I swear we hear "snow" and everyone moves into Little House on the Prairie mode. If I hadn't mailed her package yesterday, it wouldn't have been there on time. Birthday packages from parents NEED to be on time. Don's Mom forgot his a few years ago, and we still laugh over it, but I think it made him a bit sad, knowing she's getting old enough to forget. Being in her 90's, she got a 'get out of jail free' card that year. I'm not 90, so I went to the post office, with all the other charming people standing in line to buy one stamp. Her package will be on time. And there are Happy Early Spring treats in there for the grandkids, because, yes, spoiling them IS what it's all about.

Since I'm literally snowed in today, I'm working on my crazy list. I started to clean the whole house, got sheets changed, potties cleaned, some dusting, vacuuming, etc. but it was my office that was driving me nuts. So I tore into it and here's what it looks like now.

Much worse than before, unless you just happen to like the looks of furniture piled in the middle of the room, with the cleaning products left out for good measure. "Clean bookshelves' is on my sidebar as a goal for the first quarter of the year, and you can see they needed help! By day's end, they should be much better, and I should have a nice big pile for Mr. Trashman and the Viet Vets truck next week.

I put out some old twice-baked potatoes, with birdseed sprinkled on them for the little creatures who will visit today. They're freezing! I noticed the Robins had returned a few days ago. Bet they're regretting that decision. I'm enjoying watching them and the squirrels sneak up to the patio table for a nibble, and it's fun to listen to my little cat make her clicky noises that I translate to mean, "I'm hungry for some bluejay or chickadee." Later, I'll take our dog, Elway, out for a 'chase-your-tail' time in the snow. The more of it we get, the better he likes it. I don't know that anyone can watch a dog chase their tail and gobble up mouthfuls of snow and not smile.

So that's what we're up to here today. The news makes it sound like this mess of winter is pretty much all over the place. So wherever you are out there, bundle up, cook something that smells good, love on somebody, even if means just being extra patient with the clerk in the grocery store. If you have little ones, and your landscape looks like ours does, take them outside. How I miss the days when the kids were out in the front yard, building a snowman. And take pictures. You'll be glad, 20 years from now, that you did.

Take somebody flowers tomorrow, somebody who probably rarely receives them. Wear something red. And be good to yourself. I'm not sure of the author, but someone said, "If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. He's crazy about you." Me too. Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Update: I've gotten a few comments on the quote - here it is in it's entirety. It would be perfect, written in a homemade valentine, delivered with those previously-suggested flowers!

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.
He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
What about the Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem; not to mention that Friday at Calvary.
Face it, friend. He's crazy about you."

Labels: Glimpse of the Heart