I grew up near Lake Michigan where the winters were L-O-N-G and cold with plenty of snow compounded by lake effect snow. We bundled up and went on our way without much thought about it. We expected it. It took a real blizzard to bring things to a standstill.
Here in the highlands of southeastern Kentucky, it doesn’t take a lot of snow to create a mess. Our roads are mostly two lane, curvy, often without guard rails, and the passes over the mountains get slam dunked with much more snow than we get in the valleys. When the weatherman issues a weather advisory, everyone high tails it to the grocery to make sure they have at least milk, eggs, and bread before the storm hits.
Today was such a day. And I, along with all the other ordinary folk in Harlan County who don’t have supplies stock piled, made my way to Food City for groceries. I made sure to get the fixings for chili and home made soup. Later, I went to get Christmas photos printed at Walmart. The milk and eggs sections of both stores were depleted.
Weather reports were coming in on TV and by word of mouth.
“I heard they got slammed in Cincinnati already. Georgetown and Lexington are iced over and snowing.”
“It’s already bad across Pine Mountain. Anybody heading home that way needs to get there before dark. I’ve got pictures on my cell phone. It’s bad.”
I never mean to eavesdrop, but sometimes it can’t be helped.
So, on this ordinary day, I have done my chores, paid bills, made the winter weather advisory grocery store run and am settled in for the night. I watched Pride and Prejudice yesterday evening for the forty-eleventh time. Tonight I’m thinking Sense and Sensibility will be a good choice. I may reread the beginning chapters of the novel I’m working on before I start… if I can settle in and focus.
I am safe, warm, and well aware that I have so much to thank God for on a day such as this. I can’t see the answers to my prayers coming, just as I can’t see the storm headed this way… But both are on their way. 🙂
Queen of Ordinary 