Prepared

For a day that started out absolutely gorgeous, it sure didn't stay that way! We took a spur-of-the-moment shopping trip to Marshall this morning. It was bright and sunny. I wish I'd looked at the car thermometer before we left Marshall. We ran into clouds soon after leaving town – and the further north we came, the heavier the clouds. By the time we got to Waverly, the outside temp was 49, and it was only 48 when we pulled off the highway here in town. Once we got off the highway, the streets were wet. I just checked the mail, and there seems to be a steady rain coming down and it feels really chilly out there. I just saw on Facebook that there are some snowflakes being seen among the raindrops in Platte County.

I'm not a huge fan of winter. All the other seasons are fine, but I just don't enjoy the lingering cold weather. In the fall, I always start craving carbs and as the days get shorter I want to sleep more and more. I was probably a bear in a previous life!! I get tired of bundling up all the time and of not really feeling warm. By March, I get really grouchy and my favorite saying is “I want to see something green!”

Winter was tough for me as a kid in school. We had to wear dresses all the time. In an effort to keep me warm, Mom would have me put a pair of slacks under my dress. I hated that. No one else did it, and I felt like such a geek. Well, maybe one or two girls who lived in town and walked to school wore pants under their dresses, but they would take them off as soon as they got to school. I didn't have that luxury, because there wouldn't have been an opportunity before getting on the bus to put them back on.

Once it got cold, none of the other girls went outside for recess. Tomboy that I was, I wanted to be outside playing when I had the chance – and besides, I had on those darned pants to keep me warm! So my choices were these: 1) go outside and have to play with the boys, who would make fun of me for being such a tomboy, or 2) stay indoors with the other girls and feel out of place. Wow. Hard choice. At least we had some recesses in the gym. That was better.

I always had the sniffles from fall until spring. Now, we realize that it was allergies, and probably from living in a house heated with a wood stove. I never seemed to have enough kleenexes with me, and I got really tired of being stuffed up and coughing.

Because of where we lived, we were easily stranded at home during heavy snows. The dividing line between our township and the next one north was the middle of our road – so both township maintainer drivers would leave our road until last, hoping the other would have cleared it. That could lead to being snowed in for several days. The first day or two it would be fun. Then it would get old.

Our house was between two hills, with the driveway at a slight downward angle. If we had any ice, that made getting out a real challenge. It's hard to get traction when you're trying to back out of an icy driveway on an upgrade!

Growing up out in the boonies the way I did has made such a lasting impression. Even now I don't like to be low on supplies at home. I'm not ready for doomsday, but I feel best when I'm scrambling to find places to store the groceries I've brought home. Maybe instead of being a bear in a former life, I was a Boy Scout.......I always want to be prepared!