Snowed In

    So what did you do on Wednesday?
    Hailing from Wisconsin, I have seen a fair number of blizzards. The storm of ’67 that so many talk about in Chicago hit us even worse. I was six and still remember being afraid that my dad wouldn’t be able to make it home. In college, my sister and I were once stranded in a tiny town when roads were closed and we were forced to spend the night at the county jail (with about 50 other stranded motorists). About five years ago we were on a highway when it was closed and an entire string of traffic was forced to sit in one place for several hours, until traffic in front of us made it off the exit ramp.
    But I don’t remember any like this week’s. The combination of heavy snowfall, cold temperatures and high winds, made this one stand out. Many do not ever remember the city of Chicago being brought to a standstill the way it was Tuesday-Wednesday. 900 cars were stranded on Lake Shore Drive Tuesday evening. Some motorists took the risk of leaving their cars and 200 abandoned vehicles were still littering the roadway on Wednesday. High winds coming off Lake Michigan caused icy waves to be so strong that a man walking was swept into the sea and drowned. Babies were born in vehicles because moms were not able to make it to the hospital soon enough. And on Wednesday mid-morning, when the city that is always bustling with activity and traffic, it appeared to be a ghost town.
    What did you do? I woke up early, looked outside, and realized there was no use trying to get anywhere. So….I went back to bed and slept like I haven’t in a long time! Brock and I enjoyed clearing snow at our place and with our neighbors. We went out with a couple of other men in the church to help some families whose husbands we knew were out of town. And we enjoyed sitting in our warm house, by the fireplace, reading and talking. Wednesday was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time!
    Sometimes we just need a day like that to take us out of our routine, to do some things for a few others, get added relaxation, and enjoy our families. When you think of it, in past generations, people had the whole winter to huddle together by the fire and recharge to get ready for spring planting. Today, we tend to just go at full throttle all year long. At least I do. I needed a day like that in the middle of the week.
    Yep, Wednesday was a good day for me.