“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” –John Ruskin

Well, it is now officially snowing in Vermont. I believe the first day we got a foot of snow, which, in Georgia would’ve qualified as enough to shut down the entire State. The second day we got a bunch more and, after that, I stopped keeping track.

There is a LOT of snow, and the snowflakes are so huge that they don’t all fall DOWN. Some of them just float around, defying gravity, prolonging their joyful dance until they are so exhausted, they flop down on top of the others to help erase all the little differences on the surface of the world.

It is a sight to behold.

“The snow itself is lonely or, if you prefer, self-sufficient. There is no other time when the whole world seems composed of one thing and one thing only.” –Joseph Wood

Many of you have been wondering (as I have) how I would feel about the snow, since I am a girl from the tropics. I absolutely LOVED autumn in Vermont, but who doesn’t? Stick season, to be honest, got kind of boring because it was cold and gray and, well… just plain cold. Snow season, on the other hand, isn’t just cold… it’s beautifully breathtaking. Magical, even.

I love it.

Consider however, that I stay at home, and Hunter is homeschooled. So, the only time we have to be out in it, is when we feel like playing, or having an adventure (as seen in these pictures). I’m sure that makes all the difference in the world. Jeff, on the other hand, has to go to work most days.

So, for people who are new to the snow AND actually have to be out in it, whether they want to or not, I thought I’d put together a list of ten tips I’ve learned in the past three days… some of them the hard way.

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1. When you park, keep your windshield wipers UP.

I’m not entirely sure what happens if you don’t, but I’m guessing it has something to do with freezing them in an unusable position because of the cold and weight of the snow. Hunter and I discovered this as we walked around town and saw 90% of the parked cars had their wipers pointing straight up. The other 10% are probably tourists, or noobs.

2. Remove the snow above the driver door BEFORE you open it.

Jeff learned this lesson on his first snowy work day, when he ended up with a pile of snow in the driver’s seat. Snow has a wonderful way of making us aware of the effects of gravity… which brings us to #3.

3. Don’t stand or park directly under awnings, or close to buildings.

It is mind-boggling how MUCH snow accumulates on the roof of each house and, when it warms up, how heavy the snow that will suddenly fall can be. Not only that, but icicles! I don’t mean cute little icicles like the ones dangling on the bushes. I mean four-foot, lethal weapons threatening to let go of their second-story perch! Most tall buildings have signs that say, “Watch for falling ice and snow.” I say, “Yeah… What they said.”

4. Walking in snow is like walking in water.

Whenever I am at the beach, I like to walk as far as I can go in about a foot of water, kicking up spray as I go along. It’s fun and misty and magical, and it makes me feel like a kid. (Plus, it makes for a nicer tan, fyi.) I noticed that the same thing happens in a foot of powdery snow… it kicks up beautifully, and hangs in the wind.

The flip side of that is, like water, snow provides a bunch of resistance. So, when you are deciding how far you are going to trek through the snow, consider in your calculations that your feet will sink INTO the snow, and it is infinitely more tiring (and a better workout) than walking on a hard surface.

5. When you see a beautiful mound of fluffy snow, don’t throw yourself on top of it.

Odds are, there is probably something UNDER it. This is one Hunter discovered (with his knee,) and probably applies more to kids, who find it absolutely necessary to jump on, or kick, any mound of snow they see. Nine out of ten times, the mound is there because something solid (and painful) lurks beneath.

6. Waterproof yourself from head to toe.

The first day I went out in it, I had waterproof boots, gloves, and jacket… but my pants and hat were not waterproof. Since it was snowing, my hat was soon soaked (no longer warm) and, when I knelt or sat, my pants were soaked (no longer warm). Noobs have a tendency to forget that snow = water, and when it gets on non-waterproof articles of clothing, it will mercilessly soak you to the bone. Fortunately, Hunter was completely waterproof, because he BURIED himself in snow!

7. That horrible noise you hear at three or four in the morning, that sounds like the SWAT Team is rolling in to ambush you, is probably just the city snow plow.

Unless, of course, you are a fugitive, in which case it may BE the SWAT Team coming to get you (and I don’t have any good advice for what to do in that scenario.) As awful as it is to hear that sound, it really is pretty handy to have them out there getting the roads ready to be driven on for the morning commute. It makes the snow brown and yucky, but greatly increases the odds of you safely getting to where you are going.

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8. To make a snowman, you need the right kind of snow.

The first day, I tried to teach Hunter how to make a snowman with powdery snow. That’s like trying to make one out of flour… none too effective. By the second day, it had melted enough to stick together and pack tightly. This is precisely the kind of snow needed for making snowmen and, coincidentally, for having snowball fights. If it’s too melty, though, you might be having an ice-ball fight… which has “E.R. Visit” written all over it.

(As a side note, having wind chimes around when you are playing in the snow, creates the illusion that you are actually in Narnia, and may keep you on the lookout for magical, dancing fawns. Or, maybe that’s just me.)

9. Certain things don’t work as well in the cold and snow.

For instance, brakes. I have learned that it is best to use lower gears to slow down, instead of applying the brakes. Also, regular tires are not so great. You really should get snow tires put on sometime in the Fall. Oh, and cameras get a little finicky if the temperature drops too low. Ours won’t even turn on when it gets cold enough. So, if you are going on a snowy adventure, make sure your camera works in the cold.

10. Safety tip: A thick layer of snow can completely cover just about anything.

When Hunter and I were walking around the corn field today, we noticed that what is left of the stalks was just below the surface. If you tripped and fell on one of those, you would seriously put an eye out… or worse. Beyond that was a slight indentation in the field… which turned out to be an almost frozen creek. It was just frozen enough for snow to pile up on top of it and camouflage the potential danger below. So, before you go traipsing off in the endless fields of snow, make sure you KNOW what lies beneath.

That’s it. That is all I’ve learned in my first three days of snow.

What about YOU?

Do you have any useful tips for snow noobs, like me?

“The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.” –Doug Larson

Thanks!!!

Ten Useful Tips for Snow Noobs, Like Me is a post from: Quest for Balance

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THAT is a lot of water… rushing at insane speeds down the Niagara River and off this ledge, pummeling the rocks (and anything else) below. As I understand it, four of the Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Erie, and Huron) flow into this river… then Lake Ontario, then the St. Lawrence River and out to the Atlantic. Always have, always will.

So, of course, the only rational thing to do is to get on one of these boats (The Maid of the Mist) and get as close as possible to the falls in order to experience their hugely destructive power up close. Every one of these is packed full of people who PAY to be at the foot of the falls. We want to FEEL, and be inspired by, what water is truly capable of… even if it IS from a safe-ish distance.

It’s unbelievable, really… there are no words to describe this force of nature that will not be contained… it has a journey to complete, a purpose on this earth. This same water has continued in cycles throughout the ages: oceans to vapor to clouds to rain/ snow/ ice to rivers and lakes, and back again. Whether through sheer force, like Niagara, or through patient determination, as in the Grand Canyon, water never gives up.

Never.

And neither will I.

I am reminded of this quote by Brenda Peterson:

“Like water, be gentle and strong. Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth, and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world.”

What about YOU?

Have you learned how to be gentle AND strong? Do you know how to be patient and resourceful when possible, but forceful and determined when necessary? And do you have the wisdom to know the difference?

Thanks!!

P.S. – After reading Uzma’s comment below, I followed the link she left here and was utterly amazed by the pictures of water molecules under varying conditions of love, beauty, hatred, and ugliness. I HIGHLY recommend checking out these pictures of How Water Reflects Our Consciousness for yourselves.

Adventure: Lessons From Niagara Falls is a post from: Quest for Balance

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Whenever I see a magazine or blog that teaches us how to live a Simple Life, I get one of two impressions: either simplifying will turn me into a Martha Stewart type person, or I need to be one in order to achieve true simplicity.

Simplicity, as defined by these authorities on the subject, always looks beautiful… like an all-white home with a single red rose on the table, and a bowl of limes on the counter.

Simple hairstyles are polished and refined. Simple clothing is slimming and perfectly matched. Simple exercises give us six-pack abs. Simple anything, then, must mean beautiful… right? These two are practically synonymous, it seems.

Or are they?

I’ll tell you what “simple” means; it means “not complicated”.

I can’t imagine that my life could get any LESS complicated than it is right now. But guess what? My hair is a mess, I sit around in sweats and tees most of the time, and the only six-packs my abs have seen this decade require ID to be purchased. And my house? Oh… it’s simple too. I live in it.

Sometimes I make the beds, other times I don’t. Usually we have LEGOs, or Hot Wheels, or giant fortresses made of cardboard and cushions all over the living room. It’s comfy… and not complicated. But NONE of my simplicity is actually “beautiful”. My house and I will never be on the cover a magazine.

And I’m OK with that.

In fact, I’d almost argue that in order to achieve outward beauty for ourselves, our homes, and our stuff, we actually need to complicate our lives. We need to add processes and goals and expectations that often lead to disappointment or stress.

So maybe what needs to be simplified isn’t all around us, but inside us. Maybe nobody else gets to define what Simple means to me… or to you… or to anyone but himself or herself.

Simple is not always beautiful, neat, tidy and perfect. Simple is whatever uncomplicates your life so that you can enjoy it.

What does “Simple” look like for you?

(Photo Credit)

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Thanks!!!

Simple is Not Necessarily Beautiful is a post from: Quest for Balance

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Today’s post is from an email she sent me describing a different kind of adventure. You may recall she is now dealing with a chronic illness, but even that can’t dampen her zest for life. Here is Lori’s story of a softer, milder, simpler kind of adventure that renewed her spirit and nurtured her soul not long ago.

FiLoLi Gardens

The sun drenches the roses with compassion and love. I see the buds of the foxglove reaching out to grab the rays like small children reaching for the nurturing hands of their grandmother. Wisdom lies in these gardens. The wisdom of knowing we are all cared for, everything we need will be provided. We just need to unfold our blooms and accept.

At least once a week, I take myself out on a date. I take the time for just me to immerse myself in something beautiful, something I have not yet experienced. Filoli, a country estate 30 miles south of San Francisco, is my suitor this week. I have a “thing” for historical sites. It gives me comfort to know others have gone before me and have left such beauty for others to enjoy. There is good in this world.

The Filoli house, built in 1917, was donated with its formal gardens to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975. The Filoli center operates the estate, 654 acres, also a California State Historic Landmark. If you see the house it may seem familiar, having been the backdrop for many movies and TV shows (remember Dynasty?).

The original owner’s passion to follow his credo: “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life,” translates into the name of the estate: Fi-Lo-Li. As I walk through the grounds with strangers, we all experience this credo together.

I inhale scents of honey locust, sweet pea, and lavender. The petals fold and turn through pale whites, brick reds, soft purples, and deep blues as if they were practicing their own form of yoga. The interplay of water pools with reflections of the crystal-blue sky serves as a just backdrop to the songs of the lovebirds singing nearby. I sense my cup filling once again so that, as I pass through another week, I may experience difficulty in a softer light.

Adding adventure to your life does not require life-threatening events we have access to adventure in the form of the smallest of retreats. Buy flowers at the farmers market for your table, put new nubby tires on your bike, or apply those inexpensive indiglow stars to your bedroom wall. Open your senses and fill your cup.

What can you do this week (today?) to treat yourself to a simple adventure? If you take yourself out on a date, where will you go? Have you discovered beauty close to your home? I’d love to hear about it.

Thanks!

Adventure: Finding Beauty Close to Home is a post from: Quest for Balance

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Who can forget these wonderful words sung by Julie Andrews in The Sound Of Music? I have to say, I never will. Not that I have any interest in raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens. And I seriously could not care less about bright copper kettles, warm woolen mittens, or brown paper packages tied up with strings. But I am interested in finding relief from sadness, so I have my OWN list of favorite things that helps me remember not to feel so bad.

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Butterflies that pose for a picture I’m taking;
their curled up tongues when they’re all finished eating;

Beautiful jellies with their killer stings;
these are a few of my favorite things.

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It sounds weird, I know. But I realized this weekend, when I was at the Tennessee Aquarium (and butterfly garden), that I really love these two things. Despite the fact that I hate most bugs, I truly and deeply adore butterflies. They are so insanely beautiful, delicate, and graceful… even though they started out as those icky, crawly, nasty caterpillars. How is that even possible? Their metamorphosis fills me with hope that I can become anything I want to be. Plus, they fly!

And jellyfish… I can’t begin to explain how much I love jellyfish. Again, beautiful, delicate and graceful. Maybe they don’t fly, but it kind of looks like they do because they move around so smoothly and effortlessly in the water. What I like about these guys is that everything is fine as long as you don’t mess with them… just let them be. But if you do try to mess with them, to screw up their world, they will forevermore sting the heck out of you. There’s something about that not-quite-defenseless, yet delicate, savage beauty that I find intoxicating.

Anyway, watching either of these for any length of time is enough to make me forget all my troubles… at least temporarily. So I was thinking that maybe YOU have some favorite things you can think about when you’re not feeling so great. It might not be a bad idea to make a list of them, as many as you can think of. Then, when you are feeling sad, you simply need to remember them.

If Julie Andrews says it works, I’m inclined to believe her!

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Tuesdays through Thursdays, comments are closed on Quest for Balance (here’s why). Feel free to contact me directly at:

MyQuestForBalance (at) gmail (dot) com.

Thanks!!!

Finding Relief from Sadness: My Favorite Things is a post from: Quest for Balance

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