Greener Grass over here

We have a lot of snow. So much so that some friends were able to climb up on their roof from the snowbanks and ended up discovering their 6 year old chimney is falling apart. I guess the snow is good for something! It is funny to think that Timothy probably can't imagine anything but a world of white. And it is probably going to be this way for another two months--well, maybe not quite this white for quite that long, but pretty close.

It really has been beautiful this winter and crazy to think about this old fashioned winter we're having is enough to break the records of all those so fondly remembered. There are a couple things about this winter I find interesting about human nature. One, we never remember things accurately. The "good ol' days" weren't as great as we think of them as. There were as many problems then as there are now, I think we just focus on the better aspects of the time. I do think there was a simplicity then that we are lacking just because of where technology has brought us, but that same technology has allowed us to simplify in other ways, too.

The second piece of human nature that is clearly evidenced to me this year is how difficult it is to please us... last winter we wanted more snow. Well, we have it, and now everyone is complaining about what a tough winter it has been! We're begging for spring, and as soon as it hits, we'll be griping about the knee-deep mud. And on we pass into blackfly season, heat and humidity, early frosts killing our tomatoes and finally another six months of winter settling in.

When I first started teaching, I was at a very unpleasant school, and I found myself always wishing it was the weekend. One day, I realized that I was always wishing it was anything but today, and I tried to make a concerted effort to be happier in the moment. There is so much to love and appreciate in this exact moment, but it is so easy to notice all the challenges. I've been thinking about a lot of the negatives recently--the snow makes it difficult to get around, Timothy still struggles with sleeping so I am tired a lot, he wants to be carried most of the time, and my hand is starting to tingle in addition to not being able to straighten out my arm. And yet there's so much to be grateful for, even within those challenges. It is so cozy to cuddle up in front of a roaring fire after a nice snowy walk. Timothy sleeps so much better than he used to, as well, and it is such a wonderful feeling to have him snuggled up in my arms. It is too bad that I need to remind myself to be grateful so regularly, but I guess it is just human nature. I know I'm pretty darn lucky.

My friend Robyn inspired me to make this pie--it was fun to have an occasion (a family dinner) to make it, although I probably would have done so anyway after seeing her mouthwatering version!