First Snow of 09

As I listen to the news this morning I am hearing about snow plows driving down highways 4 abreast to clear highways in New hampshire (I hope that you have the fire wood stacked and the heat working in the studio, in patti b), school closings for New Youk to Maine and snow drifts 6-8 foot high in Iowa. I am thinking of all of my friends who live in these parts of the country and hoping that they are snug and safe.
Well, here in Northern Virginia we had our first snow on Saturday the fourth. This is an early first snow for this region and my snow bunny Becca (soon to be 13, so I can't get away with calling her that for very long-sob) was absolutely thrilled!! Out she went, despite having outgrown her snow pants, but wearing new snow boots. She will make Snow People and snow balls out of the smallest pile of flurries ,with such joy!!
Soon to be 18 year old brother challenged her to create a snow man that could wear his old World War ll helmet and she definately rose to the challenge. Pepper , the larger Blue Healer, was out frolicing with Becca and distracting her from the task at every turn. Pepper loves to chase and catch snopw balls and was almost as joyful as Becca to be out playing in the snow.

I must give Becca a huge amount of credit for her construction of this little snow man! I was very impressed to see that she began by filling the helmet with snow and created the head first! I would have just gone merrily along creating the snow man from the ground up with the head coming last. She took the second to think about what she was doing. She started in a much more logical fashion and avoided the problem of having the entire snow man collapse when she tried to put the helmet on to the finished head. You must excuse me while I expound on the brilliance and creativity of my girl!! She does not find joy in creating in the same manner that I do. No , she creates amazing music with her cello and with her wit and humor and with her sculpture. She blows my mind!! Both she and her brother remind me daily that creativity comes in so very many wonderful forms!!!
Back to the winter storms- i hope that all of you are able to enjoy the first storm of the season and are not adversely affected by it!! Stay warm and snug and safe. I am thinking of you all!! So is Becca! She is wishing that we had more of the white stuff and trying to figure out a way for us to move to a more northern clime!! (Watch out for tall blond teenagers who love animals, patti b!!)



Wintery goodbyes from Virginia for now and say a prayer for all of our troops wherever they may be!!!