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Taken from jennybinder.blogspot.com/2008/03/ice-storm-ph
We had another ice storm. Actually it wasn’t a really bad one, and we didn’t lose a lot of tree limbs from weight. We had mostly what one would call a heavy misting of sleet which still managed to coat everything quite nicely and make walking and driving treacherous at best.
Which all goes to say, that I didn’t make it to church again yesterday. That makes three weeks in a row now. This is starting to be a serious problem for me. We can get out okay in terms of the snow now, but the ice of course made the idea of attempting to run nearly 15 miles on blacktop a very dumb idea.
To make matters worse, it only got to about 15 degrees yesterday. We had enough wood for the day if we were judicious in it’s use, so the house was quite cool. To me it wasn’t cool, it was downright cold and I was dressed with a robe over that. I spent nearly the entire day sitting on the couch with two afghans on me.
This situation really wears on me terribly. I don’t even want to read, let alone do anything else. Getting even a part of the body out from under the covers results in chills soon. I get bored, and finally I get depressed. The Contrarian takes all this as his fault and doesn’t know what to do. He is like the commercials for anti-depressants, the “family members who are depressed because their loved one is depressed.” I thank them for reminding me that I send my misery to others. That sure helps!
I want to give a huge thank you to a lady who lives in Paris and visits my blog from time to time. She picked a lovely time to visit, and left a very nice comment about blogging and feeling the pressure to visit everybody and leave comments. It helped me a lot. I think you might like her blog, so do stop by and visit at http://omywordblog.blogspot.com. I know that I will be a regular visitor after reading a couple of her excellent posts. Paris! now there is a place I know I shall never visit in my life, but I truly wonder what it must be like to live there. It sounds oh so exotic.
Today, things look a little brighter. First of all, it’s warmer, and the Contrarian has gone out and gotten more wood, managing only to fall once, which delighted the dogs who thought he was getting down to play with them. The ice has mostly melted off the Bronco. I’ve done my treadmill and read some from my art history book and also worked on my recipes. That last is coming along quite nicely, though my hole punch has decided to not work any more. Later I’ll get some knitting done. I’ve got pizza dough rising and the sauce made for pizza today.
All in all the answer to mild depression like mine is to just put your head down and push through I find. It is definitely wrong to sit and brood. Yesterday it was just too cold to move, and it drove me deeper and deeper downward. Today, I saw my chance, realized the house felt much warmer and I bulled on forward. No doubt the exercise such as it is releases those endorphins and you emotionally feel better.
In any case, I do feel better today. I am still put out about missing church. Barbara had e-mailed reminding me of a inquirer’s class she was running for the next 4 weeks. She had asked me if I would attend to kind of help out with the conversation since it was a small group. I feel bad about letting her down, but as I said, it would have been foolhardy to attempt the drive.
Another fellow at church also contacted me about helping to teach a class on Paul in February. I’ve gone ahead and ordered the book from Amazon, but worry about accepting, given my travel issues in the winter. I’d hate not to be able to make it on the Sunday I’m scheduled to present. Sigh…what to do, what to do. I’ll have to call him and see what he thinks.
Anyway, that’s where I am today. Hope your day is going better or at least as good. I know many in the US are having worse weather issues than I am, and I do realize that I am quite blessed over all. That doesn’t always help keep away the self pity however. But I am trying my best!
Blessings to you all.
Existential Ennui 
ooooh, don’t be bummed out about missing church, ‘specially during ice-storms&such…. best to miss a few rather than make the next trip in a hearse! Just saying!
&God likes Pizza, too! That’s why most popes are Italian!!!
I understand the loss in missing church….even when the decision(s) are made for all the right and obvious reasons…
yum, though….pizza…glad you are feeling warmer and better today…
Jim, well you certainly give a good reason for missing Church! LOL. The Contrarian claims that my homemade pizza is better than any from the pizza shops. Don’t know if it’s true, but we like it better than most, and of course, it eliminates going out to eat!
Mompriest, thanks for the warm remarks. I’m doing ever so much better, the ice has at least melted off the vehicles, though the lane remains a gleaming ice road. The dogs remain very cautious about walking around, and the Contrarian has fallen by the car and now has a sore shoulder/back. Oh gosh, I just hate winter!
Hi Sherry,
Too many similarities in your post with our situation not to commiserate! Our little farmhouse is so cold today too; after a 5° night and howling wind today. We don’t use our pellet stove anymore because of the price of fuel, so that means pumping up the furnace a few degrees.
Not many ice storms here along the front range, but I remember driving in them back in Illinois; I was straddling the crown of a fully-iced country road when the Pontiac convertible with a shitty heater decided to slide off the crown and visit the ditches on both sides of the road. The good news was I didn’t have to change pants when it was over with.
And we wear our afghans, too; Carol works on the computer and I try to work up a rationale for the next blog post on the horrible news spewing out of Washington World, and reminding myself that Barack is going to be the president and… well I’m writing a column here.
While we don’t do church, we’ll brave the wind chill and drive into Boulder for our bi-weekly Urantia study group, and recharge the spiritual batteries a bit. But regardless of what the weather and circumstances dictates, we remind ourselves of the exceedingly great promise that ALL things work together for good— at least this is true for those who are spirit led. Hooray!
Anyway, just know you’re not alone in all this, Sherry, and have a soak in the hot tub of divine love at least fifteen minutes a day; it’ll do wonders for the soul!
Cheers,
Saitia
Good thing there’s blogging around to help us through these dismal winter days. And, such a long way to go, yet.
That Paris lady’s blogpost sounds interesting. Yeah, its fun to make blog acquaintances, but then trying to visit everyone and come up with intelligent-sounding comments can become a stress…..and, that is silly, really. Just let blogging be enjoyable….don’t pressure yourself.
Take care on the ice. There’s nothing to be done about being unable to make it to church at these times. Just the way it is.
I’m sorry you’re feeling trapped by the weather, and I know how disheartening it can be to feel cold in your house. Our first apartment was frequently 58 degrees in winter, and I felt so depressed about it.
Hope things pick up for you soon and you can make it to church this Sunday.
It’s hard to believe you’re right next door (Iowa, right?) to me here in Nebraska and you have so much worse weather.
I hope you thaw out soon. And good for you getting on that treadmill when you don’t feel like it. Best thing for you!
Take care, Sherry.
Saitia, Thanks for the kind words. As people relate their own difficulties, I feel rather silly announcing mine. I am blessed by much and I know it. It is just hard sometimes to weather these trapped in times.Thank you for your remarks. They certainly help.
Jeannelle, I agree, the blogging is a way to stay connected when you are stuck in doors for too long. I just am very afraid of this ice, either to drive on or walk on. With my back, I really don’t want to fall! The temperatures are not going high enough to melt off much however, and that remains the point for the week I fear.
Ruth, So far the weather looks okay in terms of snow or ice. The rock road may be bad, but if I can get to the blacktop, I’m sure it will be fine by Sunday. The real trick may be getting up our first hill, It’s all sand underneath and so not a lot of traction. We’ll see how the 4 wheel drive works with that!
Jennifer: Yep, Iowa it is. And it may not be so bad for every one here. It’s being back in the woods that makes it hard. We are half a mile from a rock road, and as is the norm, even the buses don’t travel down them much in the winter. The kids have to get to the paved roads to be picked up. That is our nemesis often enough.
Wallow in the depression for a bit. It’s okay. And hey, don’t you Jesusheads get mass for shut-ins on teevee out that way? 😉
LOL Randal, so upbeat! Yes there is usually a Catholic mass to be found,but it is not exactly the same as being there. And no Episcopal ones that I know of, but I wouldn’t feel the least bothered to take a Mass if that were the only alternative.