Day 160

Day 160: We got some snow in the Land of OS over the last 24 hours. I won't say it was a "tonne" of snow as I don't actually know it's weight, but having moved it around for the better part of five hours today (split into two super-fun shovelling sessions) I can tell you it was a substantial amount. And it was heavy. And my back is sore. And I was grouchy. But something unexpected happened while I was out for my second shovel of the day: while working on the deck I couldn't see where the planks ended and the snow pile began. I stepped one step too far and ended up falling up to my thigh in snow. Not being as nimble as I was in my youth I sort of just gave up and let it happen, and not only did I sink deeper but I ended up on my back staring up at the evening sky. I was angry for a second...then I stopped and listened to my breathing. Everything was so quiet. I couldn't hear anything except for the sound of my own breath. As I lay there in the snowbank a memory flooded over me from when I was a kid and we used to beg our parents to let us go out and play after dinner. We weren't always allowed because sometimes it was way too cold, but on those nights we were...it was magic. The way the porch light lit up the snow, the way the ice crystals sparkled like diamonds when the streetlights hit them just right. Lying there in full snow garb with my leg stuck suddenly reminded me how much I once loved winter, and that made me pretty Happy. I will freely admit I love it less this year than I ever have given the lengths I'm having to go to protect Lovely House from ice, but I will also freely and gladly admit that though it's heavy and makes my muscles ache, it is gorgeous. Tonight, a winters night made me Happy. #365happydays

A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jan 5, 2015 at 5:48pm PST