Snow dances and horse blinders

Let's start with the SOUL.  I don't know where you live, but here in Nashville, TN we have what's called the "Mad Dash for Milk/Bread".  This phenomenon happens when the weather people even hint that snow MIGHT be somewhere within a 50 miles radius.  Normal human beings literally get up from their couches, work chairs or coffee shops and make a mad dash to ANY store for all the milk and bread they can possibly haul in their vehicles and wait.  For "the big one".  By that, I mean the big ONE INCH of snow that will accumulate on the wayward side of your house.

Every child learns the spoon under your pillow, ice cubes down the toilet and wear your pajamas backwards to bed.  I'm not sure if there are any snow bunny sacrifices, but I am sure it's next.  My children actually came up with a 'snow dance' last night.  It was quite lovely, the creativity of it. They even got white scarves and hurled them around while dancing like they do at the pow wow's.  Very Cherokee of them.  Don't knock it. I found out I'm 1/16.

I really believe that the grocery stores are the puppeteers behind this.  I think they already prep the milk farmers and then 'leak' it to someone in the news that the snow is thinking about coming.  Now, I have been in Nashville for 18 years and I can personally tell you that God himself, with a mouth full of snow could be sitting literally on top of Nashville and he would blow it north, south, east or west,  just not here.  We've had plenty of ICE, a few good snows, but NOT "a BIG ONE".

Rather than being dismayed by this, however, I have discovered the hope in all of this.  I know the definition of insanity is "continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome".  So Nashville must be the wacko capital of the universe and I proudly call it home.  But, the HOPE we have.  We can nearly feel it, see it, smell it, BEG for it again and again.  We stock up, for God's sake.  Half of Nashville is probably lactose intolerant but by golly we have MILK!  We could survive a storm of epic proportions.  I guess with bread pudding?  But here we are, so hopeful. So elated when anything white comes out of the sky.  ANYTHING.

I had a grand idea of buying all the flour at the grocery store, throwing it all over our yard, putting horse blinders on my kids and taking them outside.  I'm thinking this might be the answer in the end.

It has given me a soft spot for insane people now.  So think of something you really have wanted to do, to see, travel to, read about, seen pictures of and never really gotten to it.  It's the wonderfulness of the hope, to me, that allows us to get up again and again and still continue to love whatever that 'it' is.

As Gabe Dixon appropriately sings "All Will Be Well".
One of the lines from his lyrics goes like this

All will be well
Even after all the promises you've broken to yourself
All will be well
You can ask me how, but only time will tell.


Brilliant

Give him a try.  He sounds like a very young Billy Joel.  Even plays a mean piano and of course writes his own songs.  Yes, he's here from Nashville and he might even have a mantel set up with snow items, but what he really has is one helluva talent and hope.

The reason hope is so important to me right now is because I have so many people around me suffering and all in different ways; emotionally, spiritually, physically, occupationally, marriage wise.  So when the snow didn't come, it made me look out my frosty window a little bit differently.  I want to give them hope. I want to show them the hope all around them.  I want to inject it into them with a syringe.  But the non-snow did it for me.  And please don't think I am this freakily smiling person with doe eyes who talks like a tri-delt and named her tea cup poodle Polly.   I am far from it.

ART- I still haven't gotten my easel set up.  And it's pissing me off.   It's even speaking to me in my dreams.  Last night I had a dream that I was putting the easel up and it fell over, a broken leg.  So after this, I am setting that sucker  up.  I think I shall name it.  I name my cars (The Blue Crayon, The Episcobus, and now The Marshmallow) too.  I haven't gone off the deep end. I don't name my silverware.

I have sketched out the paintings in my sketch book. Looky there. They named it a sketch book! HA
Anyway, I don't care if the big one comes, I'm sketching today on those canvases.

Also, as I said before, HUGE day tomorrow.  Hope does spring eternal.

Body - I have a sneaky suspicion that I will be sledding with my children  one way or another. I'm even thinking of putting olive oil on the bottom of their sleds and going down the big STREET.  Now that's not insanity, it's called persistence!  And walking the dogs whilst trying not to kill myself is definitely exercise.

Food - Last night's white turkey chili was excellent! I've made this for about 10 years now, usually right after thanksgiving.  It's even better the next day.  I EVEN made a small pot of vegetarian for my Julia.  When she is in therapy in her twenties, please remind her of what a kind and GIVING mother I was.

Haven't tried to re-do the poop cookies.  Sarah graciously informed me that she has newly named them POOKIES.  HAH! She is masterful, that one.  So I guess mine will be called POO2U2.

And tonight, it's left over Chili or Thai shrimp/coconut soup with jasmine rice.  I'll let them decide since we will all be in different parts of Nashvegas Friday evening.