IT'S ALL WHITE BY ME

Snow has come. Proper stuff. Thick, fluffy, clumpy, chilly, pretty stuff. 

It's in its early stage when, though inconvenient, it beguiles you with how beautiful it makes everything look. A kid's paradise.

I watched the children throwing snowballs and dragging themselves round in sledges just as I used to do at their age. Though I can't take part now that I am of advanced, brittle-boned years I can enjoy the fun of it by absorbing some of theirs.

I've a photo of my baby granddaughter looking out at the snow which had mysteriously messed up her usual view from the lounge window and almost hidden her tree from sight. She was puzzled and trying to make sense of it. Her very first encounter with the strange white blanket.

I found an anonymous poem which sums it up: 

See the pretty snowflakes
Falling from the sky;
On the wall and housetops
Soft and thick they lie.

On the window ledges,
On the branches bare;
Now how fast they gather,
Filling all the air.

Look into the garden,
Where the grass was green;
Covered by the snowflakes,
Not a blade is seen.

Now the bare black bushes
All look soft and white,
Every twig is laden,
What a pretty sight!

Snow heart photo by Tina Phillips

SNOW REASON NOT TO BE CHEERFUL

So Britain is suffering it's worst winter since 1963. We're under snow and don't have the infrastructure that other countries which are used to this weather have. However, being the optimist I am, I decided to try to come up with 10 good things about living in the snow in freezing conditions. It's been very difficult but here goes.

1. It's all very pretty. We have Christmas card views everywhere.

2. There's less traffic on the roads. We may have to drive a bit slower but fewer cars around counterbalances things quite a lot.

3. I have a very good excuse for not tackling gardening chores - weeding, mowing, watering, digging - all impossible!

4. It's easy to entertain the kids. They just love it - and building a decent snowman takes a long time.

5. If you feed the birds and I hope you do, there are plenty of good opportunities to see them gratefully visiting your garden.

6. There are less people in the shops so less jostling at the tills.

7. People are friendlier and there's more camaraderie and good will around.

8. There's a chance to practice winter sports like tobogganing.

9. It's a good time to re-acquaint yourselves with some old winter clothing favourites which don't get used too often.

10. It's also a great opportunity to catch up with those jobs at home which get left for a rainy/snowy day - like putting photos in albums for instance.

There you have it - 10 reasons to be cheerful - of course I could have written 100 reasons to be miserable but then so could you!