Words Are Not Necessary Today

When I awoke Monday morning it was to find the landscape covered with snow.

Beautiful.

White.

Glorious.

Snow.

I had about three inches of snow fall while I was sleeping and it was still falling from the dark gray clouds that covered the sky.

Big.

White.

Snowflakes.

When I got in the car, every window was covered with snow. I felt like I was in an igloo!







It was so peaceful that I hated to move, but I needed to clean off the car and go to work. Eventually, I got out of the car and got most of the snow off the windows.







The snow was so white and fluffy.

I relished every second of the white stuff that still kept falling from the sky.







The day passed....

By the time I started driving back home from work, the sky was blue and the snow was gone.







The sun was setting fast and as the sun fell out of the gray clouds, the sky was very blue and the moon was shining brightly..






Now the snow is just a memory - a beautiful memory, but a memory nonetheless.



"Yesterday is but today's memory
and tomorrow is today's dream."~Kahlil Gibran

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I Waited A Year And Then It Happened!

I consider myself a very patient person and others see me that way too. When I set a goal, working towards it methodically is actually quite satisfying. Each year I have a reoccurring goal. It is simple. My goal is snow. I want to see it, touch it, taste it, run through it and hear it under my boots. Many times I have traveled great distances to accomplish my goal.

While so many people walk around with barely clad bronzed bodies during the long summer months, I remain in the air condition hiding from the sun's rays and dreaming of snow. I comfort myself that "It won't be long before the cold breezes arrive," but actually it seems to take forever.

I wait...patiently.

Over the past year, day after scorching day passed by and I still dreamed of snow. Well, now that it is actually winter, my hope for snow is ever present in my mind. Could it snow today?

Last week I caught a virus from Alyssa the 18-year-old-germ-factory. I fought it with mega vitamins and even went to bed earlier than usual, but it was to no avail. The virus kept running the usual course of viruses. Unfortunately, I also ended up with a sinus infection and bronchitis which landed me in the doctor's office.

I didn't tweet on Twitter.

I didn't post on Facebook.

I didn't blog.

I didn't chat in my community.

I didn't do any chores at home.

On Sunday night it started snowing and when I woke up on Monday, it was a wonderland of beautiful whiteness.






I was so sick that I didn't even want to walk to the window to look at the scenery.







Most of the day was spent sleeping on the couch or laying there staring at the big blue sky while my body fought germs.







This could easily be the only snow we get this year.

I've waited ALL year for snow that I was now not going to be able to enjoy fully.

Drat it all!

I pulled my big coat over my pajamas, put on my big sunglasses to hide the puffy black circles under my eyes, slipped on my sneakers and grabbed my camera. With my scarf wrapped completely around my face, I walked outside and stepped in the snow.

It crunched.

Ahhhhh....

The crunching snow was music to my ears.







I reached down and grabbed a hand full of the wet snow and scrunched it together.

A snowball! A real snowball!

It wasn't a Twitter snowball! -----===O

I was holding a real snowball!







With a big smile under my scarf, I walked back inside, took off all the "gear" and plopped back down on the couch with my best friend...






Tuesday brought another day of solid sleeping and catering to my body. Thankfully, as Wednesday is rolling around, I'm happy to report that the virus seems to have run out of steam. The sinus infection is disappearing and the bronchitis still has me sounding like a man, but it is slowly getting better.

The big news, however, is that I patiently have waited a year and it finally happened - the goal was mostly reached. I didn't run through it or taste it, but I saw snow, touched it, felt it, heard it crunch under my shoe and made a snowball!

Don't laugh or I will throw a Twitter snowball at you!

You're laughing! Here comes a snowball! -----===O

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The Snowy Trip That Broke My Nose

It will be a trip to Colorado that I won't ever forget.

Waiting and hoping to get pregnant is not easy, so when I finally got pregnant with Alyssa after nearly ten years, "ecstatic" doesn't even begin to describe my emotions. It was a bumpy pregnancy and birth, followed by eighteen months of nursing and then gall bladder surgery. There was so many new opportunities, challenges and changes, that I desperately needed a vacation.

Destination: Colorado

Alyssa's father's sister lived in Colorado and I knew it would be fun to enjoy snow. So after much planning and loading everything into the van that I could imagine we might possibly need, the long trip from Texas to Colorado with Alyssa (under 2 years old) and Brittany (7 years old) started.

The whole trip up there was fun, but eventually we reached our destination.

In Colorado Springs, Colorado, we enjoyed the Garden of The Gods rock formations.

We also saw some amazing scrap metal art structures that decorated someone's home.





I remember Brittany kept saying, "This is so cool!" while she ran around in the snow. I thought the sculptures were rather cool too, but I wouldn't want them in my yard. I mean really, imagine a big chicken head and neck greeting you at the curb each day.

Okay....no.







I wanted to stay in a hotel so that I wouldn't have to worry about cleaning up after everyone since it was supposed to be my vacation too. Of course, everyone didn't understand my thinking, but in the end, we stayed in a hotel.

It is hard to believe that the tiny little girls in the photos are now 18 and 24 years old.







Brittany loved the snow and ate it throughout the whole trip. I kept having to warn her to make sure she didn't eat anything dirty because every time I turned around, her face was covered with snow.





Not only did Brittany eat the snow, she played with it and...





rolled around in it.

Maybe it is a redhead thing in our family, but she just couldn't get enough of the snow.





Alyssa, however, didn't really like it that much. The first time she stood in the snow, she lifted her arms for us to take her out of it. Thank goodness the good snow genes eventually matured in her and she does love snow now.







Every untouched spot covered with snow was the perfect place for yet another snow angel.





Of course, you can't take small children to snow country without providing an opportunity for slipping and sliding down a large hill.

Brittany loved tubing!











"One more time," must have been said a hundred times.





Breaks and resting between turns down the hill always included snow angels.









I was less adventurous and used the fact that I needed to hold Alyssa as an excuse.





Alyssa, however, was game and loved riding down the hill with her father.







With her big green eyes looking up at me, I couldn't resist Brittany's plea to ride with her and so the double redheads flew down the snowy hill on a little red sled.





I really preferred being pulled around. With my accident prone nature, it just seemed safer.





When snow covers everything and the sun shines, the reflecting light is blinding. I spent a whole lot of time squinting during our Colorado trip.

What was with those hideous boots?

No matter how careful I try to be, accidents find their way in my life.

My ex-in-laws home was a split level house which means that it had stairs and in this case, they were carpet covered.

One evening while happily speeding up the stairs, my foot slipped...

I was leaning forward...

I couldn't get my hands in front of me to catch my fall...

I landed nose first on the edge of the step...

The skin on my nose split...

Blood flew every direction...

My nose broke...

I felt pain beyond description...

And I passed out...

Laying face down on the stairs.

I ended up with two very black-blue-purple eyes and bright blue stitches on my nose. I was truly a beautiful sight to behold. (rolling eyes) Of course, I have never been able to live down the fact that I broke my nose going "up" a flight of stairs.

I learned a valuable lesson that day: Don't run up stairs and always use the handrail.

I love snow and since there has been no sign of it here in Virginia this year, (looking out the window at the rain falling) I can at least enjoy it through this journey back in time. Yeah, I remember that it feels so peaceful to be surrounded by the lovely whiteness and hear the crunch of snow underfoot.

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"Let It Snow" Is The Wish In My Heart

It isn't that I'm rubbing the lamp of a genie, but it feels like that sometimes.

You see, I have a friend named Joan and we talk about hopes, dreams and goals often. She understands what I've been through, where I am now and where I want to be in the future. However, during every conversation, Joan starts to sound like a broken record when she talks about manifesting my dreams. I can hear her now...

"All you have to do is visualize your dream(s) a couple of times a day - when you wake up in the morning and the last thing at night. Then make sure you use positive affirmations in the present tense. Just say, 'I'm so happy and grateful now that ___________' and believe it and experience how it feels!"

That's when I want to say, "blah, blah, blah," but I listen and soak in what she's saying because deep inside I know that a positive attitude begets positive results.

There are many goals and dreams that I am visualizing every day. Since I talk to myself in my head all the time, I actually put Joan's advice into action. Please don't tell her or I won't ever hear the end of it.

A few of my dreams include:

• a little house away from the city in the mountains
• six pack abs by my 2013 birthday in January
  
• someone who will fall in love, marry, and give me passionate kisses each day for the rest of our lives, of course, that will give me a reason to wear fancy lingerie (wink)
• snow

Yeah, you read that right...snow.

I love snow.

I'm a cold weather, flannel wearing, snuggling-cuddling type of person and snow fits in perfectly with all those things. Let's try putting some of Joan's manifesting to work.

I'm so happy and grateful now that it is snowing. (rolling eyes)






I'm so happy and grateful now that I can hear the crunch of the snow under my boots.







I'm so happy and grateful now that the snow is covering everything. (rolling eyes)







I'm so happy and grateful now that the snow has fallen and I have my camera charged so that I can take a lot of pictures.







I'm so happy and grateful now that while it is snowing, the temperatures are low enough to use the patio like a refrigerator for my water bottles. Yes, that is my drink of choice since I've lost weight and am now working on my abs.







I'm so happy and grateful now that the snow is so deep it goes over the top of my boots and melts on my socks. (rolling eyes)







I'm so happy and grateful now that I can make snow cream.






It amazes me that Joan is so steadfast in drilling into my head that I can have and be anything I ever dreamed of having and being. She is equally committed at convincing me that if I do my manifestation, all these things will come true for me -- even though Joan hasn't manifested anything to come true for herself yet!

So let’s try this manifesting thing and cover everything all at once…

I'm so happy and grateful now that I have a little house in the snow where I run around in fancy lingerie to the delight of my loving husband who gives me passionate kisses and enjoys my six pack abs thoroughly every day.

Blah, blah, blah...

The reality is that it is not snowing, I'm not in the somewhat secluded little house and I’m now going to take my flannel covered, untoned abs into the kitchen, get a bowl of fudge covered ice cream, crawl into the bed alone and kiss the dog good night.

So much for manifesting.





Now, the time we have all been anxiously awaiting...This is the weekly post where I spotlight my Rockin' Friends who are the Top Nine active participants and loyal followers in my community where you will find THE BEST people in the world! If you want to be mentioned here next week, then all it takes is to come in and start chatting with everyone in my community.



With a big, heartfelt thank you for their participation and friendship, here are the Rockin' Friends this week in order of most participation.

• Joan at Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams


• Katlupe at Homesteading On The Internet


• Bev at eBlebco.com


• PJ at PJ's Prayer Line


• Aleta at Aleta's Arty Facts


• Paula at The Wandering Hearth


• Carol at ArtMuseDog


• Meg at Mergie


• Amber at Amber May Be...

I'm so glad that I've been able to become friends with these wonderful people who are so active in my community. I encourage you to add their blogs to your blogroll, but also come over and chat with us in my community.

For everyone mentioned in the top nine this week, feel free to grab the Rockin' Friend badge below and thank you for your participation!!



<a href="http://www.theredheadriter.com" target="_blank"><img style="width: 150px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="Rockin' Friends" title="Rockin' Friends" src="http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/TheRedHeadRiter/2009%20TEMPLATE/69015f9c.jpg"/></a>
Until next week...Kiss your family, hug your friends and don't forget to be the friend you would like to have around.

Woo Us To Your Blog

As always, attached is the weekly Linky to enter either the main URL to your site or add each post you publish throughout the week. You don't have to do anything special, just drop your link in and get a little extra exposure to your site.






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