Petunia rambles on and on….

We’ve got about 8-9 inches of snow now and it’s still falling and blowing with 30-32 mph winds.  Got in to work about 0715. Two hours south of us is getting a mix of snow/sleet/rain/ice – great fun. They don’t expect temps to get above freezing here for the next 2 days.  Worst part of the trip was the first few miles, getting from my house up to the highway – highway HAD been plowed some hours before. Sliding down the west side of the bridge over Route 1 was exciting, too.

News is just a long listing of cancelled events. Stores are suicidal at the thought of the loss of business on the last weekend before Christmas.

For those who want to check out local conditions, go here to the DelDot site. I’d go outside and take a picture, but it’s too damn cold.

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Took me over 90 minutes to get home today, a trip that usually takes about 12 minutes. I saw 11 accidents, 3 of them looked pretty bad.  I drove over a bridge in a complete white-out and wasn’t sure where I was. The defrosters and the wipers could not keep the snow/ice off the glass so I had to stop several times to scrape the windshield clear. As it built up again, my ability to see out disappeared. There were 4 vehicles stuck in the roads of my development (the city might plow by Wednesday) There was over 20″ of snow in my driveway, so I just hit the gas and bull-dozed my way in hard enough to ensure that the ass end of the vehicle was out of the road, and hoping that the front end didn’t hit the house.  It continues to snow, 3 hours ago the snow was over the top of the front wheels of my SUV, taller than the wheels! And it’s still snowing. Husband’s truck is buried. Now, the snow is deep enough to reach the top of the hood.

Took this pic this afternoon, from the front door of the building where I work.

It’s been coming down this hard since before 6am, at least 15 hours.

And, for the record, poodles don’t like snow that is deeper than they are tall – she’s a Standard Poodle.

I love bright colors – the cheerier, the better. I look good in “jewel” tones over pastels, and have always worn them.

I like bright, deep pink.

Except when I’m living in it – and have to pull a shift tomorrow. This is a Winter Storm Warning, heavy snow, starting tonight at 11pm and continuing until 6am on Sunday. I fear we’re gonna get it hard this time.

Christmas is coming! I can finally feel it!  It must be nearby somewhere.  There are some apparent signs.The tree is up AND decorated – done!  Pop hates putting the lights on the tree but won’t let anyone else do it!  He puts the little white lights on, and inside, near the trunk so the tree look like it’s glowing. I photograph it poorly; it looks beautiful.

The table is CLEAR!!

New table, plenty of room for everyone to sit in comfort, room for the food. Freshly waxed! Six big chairs.  See the bench that will seat 3 more? We had a nice dinner tonight, just Pop and me. Candles, wine. Sinatra in the background. Small bit of dance floor accessible – that’s why I married him – there’s no one else I ever want to dance with. He knows his way around a dance floor!! How many times we’ve made heads turn, everybody in the room! One more glass of the red and we’ll be dancing tonight.

The wee tree is out, the little ceramic one that I won’t let anyone touch. And shed at least a few tears over every year.

Thirty nine years ago, a gift to me.  The tag said, “From Jim” but he was only 9 months old, so I suspect my mother had something to do with it! Looked like her handwriting, too. Wind up the base and it plays Silent Night. Every Christmas, I have them both with me. Still. Always.

Guess it’s showing some wear and tear. So am I. Mom’s gone. Jim makes me proud, every day. This tree reminds me how far we’ve come together.

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But how I truly know that Christmas is coming? It’s when we celebrate the best Christmas present I ever received. Had to do a bit of work, but luckily, not much – 8 minutes, so kill me. I was unwilling, apparently, to even wait the time it would take her father to fill out the Admissions paperwork and get to the seventh floor of Gorgas Army Medical Center in Ancon. He said he heard a baby crying as the elevator got near the top floor, and said to himself, “She wouldn’t wait til I got there!” (meaning me!! I’m a “quick deliverer!”) (Sorry, Mike!)

Happy birthday, baby girl. My baby always.