…though it’s not snow, exactly. More like falling slush balls, my husband said when he went out to get the paper. There is supposed to be some combination of snow/rain/freezing rain/sleet throughout the day (what’s the difference between sleet and freezing rain, I wonder? I suppose I could go look it up.) When I turned on the news to see if our school was closed for the day the weatherman meteorologist said a “winter storm warning” was in effect until 6 am tomorrow.

Somehow I totally missed the forecast until later yesterday afternoon when my kids came home excited about the possibility of school being closed. I was at the store for a few things and wondered why the parking lot was so uncharacteristically full for that time of day — one of the regular news stories every year when we have a snow or ice forecast is how everyone buys out all of the milk and bread the day before.

I’m glad we have a snug, warm home. One problem, though, with this weather, especially with any iciness, is power outages, usually from tree limbs breaking off and falling onto power lines. The power lines in our neighborhood are below ground, but evidently somewhere between here and the power plant they are above ground, because it is not unusual to have some loss of power during a winter storm. I’m hoping that doesn’t happen (for the whole area, not just for me). We’re ok if it does. We have a fireplace downstairs and a stack of fire wood from last year that never got used. One room that was added onto the house by the previous owners has a gas heater. We have candles and flashlights and some D batteries (I should have gotten more of those). We have a little camp stove that we could probably use in front of a window or door (for the necessary ventilation) for however long we would need to heat something up. We have sandwich stuff. We wouldn’t have hot water for showers, but we could make do. I know people did for years without electricity. But there is something about being without electricity that just makes me cringe. I don’t like the darkness. Once when we lived in GA and our area got hit by hurricane Opal, we were without power for 3 or 4 days, and it just felt so stifling to not have full light. After the third day we went out to eat at a place nearby that did have power just to get out of the dark house. But — that’s a minor thing compared to what a lot of people have to face, so I an trying to keep it in perspective and remembering the Scriptural principle about not fretting about what the future might bring.

I am pretty much housebound in weather like this since the transverse myelitis. Both my balance and footing are faulty — my lower legs are not totally numb, but the sensation isn’t all quite there — and that combination makes slippery places a hazard for me. But I am fine with being inside since we’re well-stocked with groceries and I won’t need to go anywhere until tomorrow.

What’s going to make the day a challenge is that the monthly newsletter/booklet I write for our church ladies’ group is due out the first Sunday of the month — which is this Sunday — which I usually have ready to take to the church office to copy and staple on Friday — and for which the Thursday before is a day of heavy writing and finishing up — which will be interesting this particular Thursday with everyone home. We’ll see how it goes!