I guess you’ve decided to show up after all – and how!

After a very mild fall, and weeks of above normal temperatures, you finally arrive with below zero wind chills and snow flurries – overnight.

Really? Couldn’t you have broken us in gently?

One day I take a walk in jeans and a hoodie.

Just 24 hours later it takes me 15 minutes to don insulated coveralls, boots, a winter coat, ski gloves and a stocking cap just to get the mail. Talk about full battle gear!

All together that pile of winter wear weighs over 5 pounds.

You know there’s nothing like a pair of insulated coveralls and an extra 5 pounds of weight to make a gal feel ladylike and feminine!

And there is absolutely nothing very positive that one can say about “hat hair” – especially hat hair full of static from the dry cold.

Okay winter – I’ll admit that you hit us with hard left-hook, but you haven’t won this round!

Yes, I know that the electric fencer isn’t working, both the hydrant and the water in the cow tank are frozen, and the satellite internet is spotty.

But both cars started, the well is still running and the furnace is working just fine!

And the sun is out, the cows are staying in the fence, and I have running water in the house.

You may have knocked us for a loop – but you haven’t beaten us yet! You just make us tougher.

So there.

Anybody up for a winter walk?

I mean really out.

Like – outside out.

Like – out in the pasture out.

Yes, I know it’s January.  Yes, I live in Iowa.

But it was a balmy 60 degrees yesterday and the kids had spent all afternoon cleaning out some fence lines. When Jan came home they hauled the wood and started a fire – a big fire.

Since they were already out there – and they already had a fire – we decided to pack up some  hot dogs and make it an adventure!

So – by the light of an almost full moon – we pulled up some stumps, roasted our hotdogs and made a memory.

After eating way more s’mores than we should have, the kids packed things up and went home.

But Jan and I sat on our stumps holding hands while we watched the fire turn to embers.

It was so peaceful sitting there in the light of the flames,  talking and listening to the coyotes howl – a real “country-style” date.

It was one of those sweet moments that can’t be planned, they must just be enjoyed!

If you study a map of Colorado you will soon realize that Pagosa Springs is on the other side of the Rocky Mountains from Denver.

If you look carefully at that same map you would see that there are two mountain passes that we must cross before we find our son.

Two. In the winter. Remember me? I’m the one who freaked out on Teton Pass on a sunny day in September!

We started west out of Walsenburg and began the climb toward La Veta pass. The roads got slicker and the snow started to fly as we reached the summit and started down, very thankful that although the elevation was over 9000 feet, the grades were not steep.

We made it! Piece of cake! One pass conquered – one to go.

The roads cleared and the snow ended as we headed down. We had dry roads, clear skies, and sunshine as we drove across the high plains of Colorado.

Our spirits lifted as we settled in and enjoyed the adventure!

But we soon discovered that Colorado wasn’t done with us yet. We started the climb toward the next pass – the granddaddy of mountain passes – the infamous – the dreaded – Wolf Creek Pass.

We hit snow just outside of the city of South Pass.

It got deeper and visibility got poor.

Still we climbed.

We noticed that cars were just crawling down the mountain in the other lane – a mute reminder that it’s easier going up a mountain than coming down. At least going up we have gravity to help us stop.

We saw an accident that had just happened – it was a miracle that both drivers were still alive when you looked at the condition of the car and the position of the truck on top of the guard rail.

We reached the Summit and started the nail biting descent into Pagosa Springs. Steep 7% grades that end in a hairpin turn. Down and around the mountain.

Low gear. Top speed is twenty miles an hour. Poor visibility and the roads are snow covered.

Finally we reach the bottom and drive right out of the snow into Pagosa Springs!

As I peeled Jan’s hands off the steering wheel, I said, “Never ever again will I take that pass. Never again in a million, trillion years – especially in a snowstorm!”

We drove out to Wolf Creek Lodge and finally- finally got to see Matt!

I didn’t even cry – much.

And he took this picture of Jan and I to prove that we made it. Notice that white stuff on the ground? Oh yeah…

We had a tour, got to meet his roommates and friends – and it started to snow – again.

I ignored it as we sat down to lunch and tried to just soak up the time with Matt. But it was getting harder to ignore – especially when the director mentioned the Winter Storm Warning that was going into effect.

I tried not to meet Jan’s eyes – because I knew what he was thinking – Wolf Creek Pass.

He talked to the director to see if there were any other options for getting out of there.  There were none. If we wanted to go home, it would be over that pass.

Graduation was at five o’clock. If we stayed for that – we would be traveling over the pass after dark – and after it had snowed all day.

If we left on Saturday – we may not make it out at all.

We said our good-byes and left.

Three hours. We traveled a day and half for three hours with Matt.

And we missed graduation.

We bought some chains for the rental car before heading east out of Pagosa Springs and started climbing up that pass that I had just said I never wanted to go over again ever in my lifetime.

And I got to do it twice – in one day – in a snowstorm.

Thankfully the grade on the east side of the pass wasn’t as steep and winding as the west side, because the snow was deeper and the visibility worse.

Once again the snow stopped at the town of South Pass and we started across the high plains of Colorado in sunshine with dry roads.

Can I pause a minute here and say what an incredible man my husband is?! I was amazed at his driving skills and cool under pressure.

We drove hard and fast – making it over La Veta Pass after dark – despite the blowing snow and black ice. We just kept driving north on Interstate 25, thinking that if the roads were good – we were going to get as close to the airport as we could.

We finally got a hotel on the north side of Colorado Springs – which proved to be a wise decision since we woke up to another snow storm.

Unbelievable.

We had one more white-knuckled drive into Denver – but made it to the airport in time.

Our flight was an hour late – but considering everything else that we had gone through in the last few days – that was nothing.

Home never looked so good!

And you know – even though things didn’t go as planned, it was still a wonderful trip! I would do it again in a heartbeat – but only in July!

Post script-

We found out later that they closed Wolf Creek Pass a few hours after we got through. The other family hoping to drive home was still stranded on Sunday.

Northern New Mexico, from Albuquerque to Southern Colorado had a winter storm into the next week.  If we had stuck to our original plan – we might still be there. Some of the students who planned to travel that direction were still waiting on Tuesday.

Matt made it to Durango for his flight home on Sunday, but only after another white-knuckled drive west from Pagosa that included hitting a deer.

Remind me to avoid Colorado in the winter!

I interrupt your regularly scheduled school day to bring you this special report.

Last night while we slept – it snowed.
Six inches of wet sticky snow.

And although you may think that it’s really quite exciting and even somewhat pretty, I must bring a touch of reality to your morning.

The heavy snow has knocked down the electric fence and all the cows are all out.

While you were drinking your hot chocolate for breakfast – they were walking across downed wire and eating the hay bales set aside for their winter consumption.

Please drop whatever you are doing and immediately put on your winter coats, snow boots, gloves and hats.

You will find them still in the tubs in the basement where we put them last spring -because your mother somehow missed the 6 inches of snow in the forecast last night and was not prepared.

Then report to the back pasture for a morning of adventure.

We’ll call it PE.

Thank you,

Your mother

My living room is now an infirmary.

Four of the five kids are down – two on the couch, one in the recliner and one on the window seat.

Our particular strain isn’t awful – just miserable with low grade fevers, sore throats, aches and stuffy heads.

Since 80% of my students are down sick, I have canceled school until the outbreak has passed. That means hours of Food Network, Martha Speaks and Word Girl.

At least they’re too miserable to fight over the remote – they just sit and stare at whatever is on the screen, dozing off and on.

I can always tell who has the remote by what is playing. You know Angel Girl doesn’t feel good when she sits through hours of car shows!

Pedro was the first to fall victim over the weekend. I made him a pot of chicken soup on Saturday. I’ve been adding more broth, chicken and noodles every day since.  I have no idea where the original soup started and where it ends!

I spend my days keeping kids comfortable – refilling glasses of orange juice and hot apple cider, taking temperatures, and fluffing pillows – while the influenza runs it’s course. I’m very thankful we have a relatively mild strain – some of the stories I’ve heard are scary!

And at least they are all sick at once – or almost.  If everyone had waited for his/her own week – we would be sick till the spring thaw!

It sounds like Word Girl is playing now – so Buddy must have the remote. I guess it’s time to make my rounds, take some temperatures, and check the condition of my patients.

Stay healthy!

If you would have told me when I was in high school that I would ever strap wooden sticks to my legs and propel myself across frozen ground – I would have laughed in your face.

I’m not athletic. I hated gym class. I’m not even sure I like winter. I know for sure that I don’t like to be cold.

But my mom gave each of her daughters some wonderful advice when we got engaged. “Learn to love what your husband loves so you can share it together”.

So I did.

I married a Eagle Scout with Scandinavian blood running through his veins.  His boy scout troop used to strap packs on their backs and ski into the Sierra Nevada mountains, set up winter camp and ski back down the next day.

He loves skiing like a fish loves to swim.

So I learned. It wasn’t easy.

It still isn’t. But my husband loves the fact that I worked hard to learn something I knew nothing about – just so I could spend more time with him.

Now – whenever the weather cooperates – we have a standing date when he gets home from work. We strap on our skis and head out on the trails around the property.

I wasn’t the only sister to heed mom’s advice.

My oldest sister married a high school coach and had 4 strapping sons before she saw any pink . She learned baseball inside and out.

My next sister married a guy who loves snowmobiling. I mean really loves snowmobiling. She bought a snowmobile suit and learned to cheer when the drifts started to pile up.

My youngest sister learned farming – tractors, seeds, fertilizer, planters, combines & commodity prices.  She works her schedule around planting and harvest because she knows it’s something her husband loves.

And my mom – she didn’t just give us advise – she lived it. She can bait a hook, cast a line, and land the big one with the best of them. She’s had over 50 years of fishing trips with my dad.

If it’s important to him – make it important to you.

I wish I could say that I planted this hyacinth bulb and planned for it to bloom in the middle of a cold and dreary January.

But the truth is – I was given the plant last spring and had every intention of planting it last fall. But things got kind of crazy and it didn’t happen.

It was placed on the catch-all shelf in the basement by the door and I forgot all about it.

Then, a few weeks ago, in a fit of organizing frenzy, I cleaned that shelf and uncovered the pot. As I was moving it, I discovered a little spot of green popping up out of the soil.

I brought it upstairs and watered it.

It grew.

Then the flower appeared. Small, and stunted, but still a spot of glorious color and fragrance in the midst of a long, cold, dreary winter.

It was a gentle reminder that spring is coming.

This cold and snowy weather will pass. It is just a season.

In time the snow will melt, the air will warm and the sun will shine.

My world will be green and fresh and vibrant with color again.

It just takes time…

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build…”‘ Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

]]> http://www.bluejeansandcottontees.com/sweet-surprise-gentle-reminder/feed/ 0 http://www.bluejeansandcottontees.com/winter-jam-2010/ http://www.bluejeansandcottontees.com/winter-jam-2010/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:56:22 +0000 Country Gal http://www.bluejeansandcottontees.com/?p=1904 After last night, I think we could be nominated for parents of the year.

Last night my husband and I took all five kids, drove 2 hours, stood in the cold for 45 minutes until the doors opened and we got herded  inside, then we fought the crowd of over 8,000 people to find seats  – all so our kids could enjoy Winter Jam 2010.

So what is Winter Jam?

It is – according to my kids – THE concert of the year. It’s a massive event with an impressive line-up of performers including Third Day, Newsboys, Tenth Avenue North, Fireflight, Newsong, Sidewalk Prophets, Robert Pierre and Revive.

The cost for this amazing evening was just $10 at the door. It was a great deal.

It is also really loud.

At the risk of sounding old – I would like to point out that when music I enjoy when played on the radio is played live at a concert – the lyrics are lost and all I can hear is the pounding of the bass that is so loud it rattles my teeth.

But the kids loved it – which was actually my favorite part – watching them respond and enjoy everything about the concert.

My other highlights?

Tenth Avenue North – they are a class act all the way – and I even understood what they were singing.

Newsboys – pure joy! It was just plain fun to watch Mike Tait and the rest of the crew perform.

Third Day – pure worship! Singing God of Wonders with 9000 other people was something I will never forget.

Robert Pierre’s commercial for his new CD – loved it! Seriously – we need to buy the CD just because the it was so funny!

So yes, this old lady rather enjoyed the concert – despite the crowds, cold temperatures, and the blizzard we drove home in.

Yes, even in spite of the pounding bass.

Next time I’ll bring ear plugs.

Now imagine it covering every tree, bush, fence post, mail box, even spider webs hanging from the barn eaves.

It was breath-taking.

How can anyone doubt a creator God?

“The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands,Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” Psalms 19:1-3

We really had a lovely fall temperature wise- and a nice long one.

But once winter finally decided to make an appearance the first of December – it came with a vengeance.

We had our first major storm the second week of December with about a foot of snow dumped and strong winds to blow it around.

That was followed by the infamous (and deadly) Christmas Blizzard of 09. We had just barely gotten that one cleaned up when the next one hit this week.

From what I can figure – we get a new storm about every 2 weeks. At this rate – we should have snow up to the second story windows by March.

The snow itself isn’t so bad – I guess – but the arctic cold that comes with it is! With air temperatures below zero day after day – things start to break down. Important things – like vehicles and well pumps.

The combined effect of continual snow, wind, and frigidly cold air is numbing to the mind. It makes everyday things – like simply feeding the chickens – a nightmare.

We have a 4 feet high by 21 feet long by 10 feet wide drift that starts at the back door and covers the driveway and the house that is so packed in our tractor can’t budge it. The boys dug it out after the first snow – but gave up after Christmas since it keeps blowing shut.

Now we drive around it – over the lawn.

Just getting to the car means walking all the way around the drift – or through it. Try unloading a van full of groceries like that!

But my minor concerns are nothing compared to the large livestock producers in the area. Keeping the critters fed and water in this weather is both time consuming and dangerous.

Area schools have already missed several days of classes – and the winter is just beginning.

But it’s not all bad.

We’re safe and warm.

We have a wonderful furnace and nice thick insulation.

Our pantry and freezers are well-stocked.

We have electricity, running water and internet access.

But mostly we have rest.

My calendar for January is almost empty because no one has ventured to plan anything. Just imagine – an empty calendar.

I’m sure that once the weather warms up and the snow stops blowing – my schedule will start filling up. But for now – I will relish the quiet days with the wind blowing, the snow falling and my family around me.

Rest.