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Leeks and Liturgy
Snow days
POSTED 02/26/10, 01:47 PM EST BY STEPHANIE ORTOLANO
Yesterday I was ready to post something about how wonderful shoveling snow can be. With a grandmother in the house, I was able to spend a blissful hour in the snow clearing our long, long driveway. There was something very meditative about being outside, hearing the crunch of the shovel, the twitter of the birds at the feeder, the wind blowing through the stand of tall pines across the street. It was invigorating to be expending energy on a task that needed to be done and could be accomplished in tangible time frame (unlike, say, my dissertation). There was a lot of snow that needed to be moved and I did it!Then I woke up this morning. Yesterday's efforts completely eclipsed by the new foot of snow on the ground. Drifts made the crisp line of driveway snow bank indistinguishable. The snow was up to the hood of the car, as if it was slowly sinking into a lake of white. This morning I shared the shoveling with my dear Keith, with the priority being digging him out so he could get to work. We only completed half the driveway, figuring we could complete it later in the day. (Why is out driveway so long!) The mailbox had fallen victim to an ambitious snow plow. I'm ready for Spring.
Comments
giffen.maupin February 27, 2010 | 03:27 PM
Though my apartment isn't in quite as bucolic a location as your house is, Stephanie, I experienced much of the same gratitude this morning while my neighbor and I shoveled our driveway. There was something so satisfying about scooping and piling, scooping and piling, interrupted only occasionally by a jogger who would sheepishly skitter around the growing mounds. And on the invigoration "of a task that needed to be done and can be accomplished in a tangible time frame (unlike, say, my dissertation)," amen, sister. Speaking of which, I need to stop commenting and start writing. But first, a snowy run!
I'm jealous! We've had nothing but rain-rain-rain, which might not involve shoveling, but it does make the roof of my car leak and makes my work-shoe-shod-feet cold and wet when I try to walk to work. I'd almost rather shovel!