An Explosion of Happy

As I'm tucking my little pumpkin into bed, she is so full of the wiggles that I doubt she will go to sleep for a while. Tomorrow she gets to go on a field trip and she can't stop talking about it. I'm so tired that my yawns are getting more fierce by the minute - they make my jaw ache. We have to go through a ritual every night when I tuck her in: Cover up with the comforter, then the quilt made by Auntie Kim. Once the blankets are pulled up to her chin we have to arrange the 'lovey' blankets (she has three!). Two get rolled up and go on each side of her to box her in nice and cozy-like. The third gets tucked around head so all you can see is the front of her face. As I lean over to give her an Eskimo kiss and a squeezy hug, she shivers with excitement and says, "For some reason I feel an explosion of happy tonight!" My breath catches in my throat as I feel a sudden rush of emotion; overwhelming joy mixed with surprise. She has just turned 10 and her days of blurting out such pure feelings are numbered, something I know from raising 4 children already. Please God, let her keep this gift of unguarded emotion for a little while longer.

Snowscape

It is a very snowy day today, and it's quite beautiful out there. That is, when you're looking at it from inside. This is a view from my dining room window.  I love to look at it, don't even mind taking a walk in it, but the thought of venturing out onto the roads today holds no appeal for me whatsoever! My facebook friends are posting reports of skidding through intersections on their way to work and I just thank my lucky stars that I 'work' from home. I heard reports of the snow coming yesterday and made a run to the store for food and picked up my prescriptions, so I have no need to leave the house today. It is so quiet...the snow seems to muffle all sound from outside. I don't even hear the traffic on the road. Someone from the electric company came out today to remove a tree branch that was leaning against the power line that crosses the back of our yard, and the only reason I know he did the deed is there are tracks in the snow on the driveway. I never heard him come or go. I feel as if I am wrapped in a white blanket that muffles all sound. It is rather cozy. The birds are feeding steadily all day on the feeder, and I know I'll have to make a trip outside to refill it before day's end. I don't like to have it empty at the end of the day because they come back so early in the morning.