February 8, 2012

I’ve grown angry there is NO SNOW!!!

It’s true.

I have spent the last few days cursing the brown lawns in Minnesota. I shoot evil glances at the pathetic piles that claim to be snow, and then kick big blocks of ice in frustration. (not an activity I would recommend)

I know…I know….I should be glad there has only been one day with below-zero temperatures.

(small pom-pom wave…yay)

I lie and tell people I’m thrilled I didn’t have to shovel the driveway one time after my husband had ACL reconstruction December 7th.  NOT ONE TIME!!

(pom-poms…yay)

The deal was sealed for me when I got all adventurous last week and I took my friend (a new transplant from Raleigh) to the St. Paul Winter Carnival.  I had hoped to show her some cool ice and snow sculptures, while we froze our butts off (like true Minnesotans!)

It was in the mid-thirties and this is what we saw:

To make the scene even more pathetic, the lone lunchtime musician  had one fan (his mom)…and we quickly walked by in embarassment. The trees, that are donated each year to add some color to the normally white landscape, were leaning haphazardly against the fences because there was no snow to put them in.

I didn’t want my St. Paul Winter Carnival experience to be like that!

Winter is almost done, and we haven’t even really had winter. That stinks!

It stinks because part of why we love calling Minnesota home is because we can claim we endure great hardship. It is a badge of honor to say that we managed to walk from building to car in below 50 degrees. Now, how the heck am I going to seek consolation from those people I convince to feel sorry for me, if it is consistently 35?

I haven’t gone cross-country skiing yet (and they have lights on the trails this year!) The kids have been on the outdoor rinks only a couple times (and the warming house has new heaters!) I don’t want the outdoor rinks to close… IN FEBRUARY…but how can anyone justify trying to get them going again when March is just around the corner?

Then to add insult to injury. COLORADO GOT DUMPED ON!!

All my little Colorado friends couldn’t post quite enough about the big snowstorm coming…the lines of people in the grocery store stocking up for the snowpocolypse…the crazy ways cars were stuck and spinning and then just staying home because everything was cancelled and no one could get out.

SHOW OFFS!!

I am using this blogspace as therapy for me this week. I am going to do an exercise right now to help me to move to a better place…and out of this tense frustration. Thanks for humoring me 🙂

I am going to post a couple beautiful pictures of the snow in Colorado. Courtesy of my friend, Kathy Newcomb.

I will attempt to write through this ugliness with a poem:

Winter is beautiful…

or so I’ve heard.

Snow lays like blankets…

now that’s absurd.

The white echoes silence.

I sortof recollect.

Potential for happiness,

Not if I disconnect…

 

 

Okay, so it didn’t totally work. If there is anything that saves my sanity right now, it is the fact that I can see what winter looks like through the lenses of my friends.

Hopefully next week I’ll grow more than thorns!!

Happy Growing, everyone!

Where’d You Grow Wednesday posts each week, and if you do something, write something, take a picture of something that grows you in some way, I’d love to hear about it.  Send your links, pictures and stories to choosingtogrow@meaganfrank.com

Copyright 2012 Choosing to Grow                                     Meagan Frank