Baby, It's Cold Outside!

I haven't blogged here for awhile and it's probably because lately I've felt that I'd rather have my shivering fingers wrapped around a cup of steaming hot tea, or busily knitting with warm wooly yarn than to sit in my drafty dining room where my computer is located to blog.

If Darin and I hadn't gone down to Texas for Christmas and had the nice break from the winter weather when we did, I might be going postal at the moment with cabin fever. I must say that Minnie has been quite a trooper and that I might not be so compliant if I had to go outside in single digit temperatures every time I had to go potty. So, bravo Minnie! You get an extra treat for being a good sport!

I would post a picture here of all the snow we've been having (it's been on the ground here since November and it just keeps accumulating!) but I'm too chicken to even go out long enough to snap a few shots! I do have a picture from a really snowy day LAST year that looks pretty much like it does right now... I promise.

So, to give you an idea of what my front yard is looking like right now:

Even though these temperatures can be hard for this wimpy Texan to cope with, I must say that the beauty of the snow is breath taking! And any time I catch myself moaning when the snow starts up again, I think back to all of my childhood dreams of having snow just once toplay in while I was growing up. And I try to think of it as yet one more chance to have my childhood dreams fulfilled!

And such life it brings to the scriptures when I come across references of how God brings about new life in the spring after a difficult winter season! Take, for example, the Song of Solomon, chapter 2, verses 10-12:

"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land."

Now I must admit that the hope of spring might not have such a presence in my life were it not for the long and difficult winter.

My San Antonian Grocery Clerk

I love my grocery store. Just right around the corner from my house stands my Dahl's Grocery Store. Part of one of the main grocery chains in Des Moines, and only the second ever branch to be constructed (opened in 1952) in Des Moines, it is something of a landmark in the city. When people around here ask me where I live, all I have to do mention the Dahls location I shop at and say that I live around the corner from it, and everyone nods knowingly and says, "Oh, yeah! I know exactly where that is!"

Because of the ecclectic mix of shoppers there, Darin and I used to say that we were looking for a congregation that resembles our grocery store when we were searching for our church home here. Our neighborhood is a middle class area sandwiched right in between the "old money" and "very little money" parts of town. And we all congregate in the same grocery store. It's fabulous!

Shopping there now for over four years, I've come to recognize many of the employees. One gal who checks groceries there has always stood out to me as one of the friendliest and most kind-spirited people I've ever encountered. She always has a smile on her face and and greets customers with cheerfulness.

Well, a couple of months ago I discovered the reason why she's so great! She's a Texan! And not only that, but she is from San Antonio! When we made the connection that we have the same hometown I couldn't help but blurt out, "I always knew there was a reason I liked you so much!"

Now every time I shop, I scan the checkout lines to see if my Texas friend is on duty. And if so I'm sure to get in her line when my shopping is done. I knew that she had gone home for Christmas this year, just like me, so when I went through her line tonight I knew we'd be able to share the joys of our Texas Christmas over my credit card transaction. As we animatedly chatted about the 65 degree temperatures, the Riverwalk and the South Texas Hill Country, she paused for a moment, flashed a smile at her co-worker who was bagging my groceries and announced, " We're both from Texas!"

He gave a polite nod and then continued bagging my items. I suppose we shouldn't expect him to understand... : )