17 below...

At least that is what my thermometer said this morning. The newsman said -12. Whatever. It is cold. There is also an old wives tale that says it can be too cold to snow - since it snowed most of the day today, I don't believe much of anything I hear lately. The temp mixed with the wind, the snow, Jed calling to tell me he is staying in Miami for an extra day(don't blame him - it is 80 above there), and girls to cart around just made me a bit grumpy today.

Now that the girls are snuggly in bed(after staying up a 1/2 hour late to watch Charlie Brown's Christmas - which brought me to tears when they sang "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"), I can reflect on why I have no right to be grumpy today.

My very positive negative 17 degree day...

- my neighbor called and offered to drive Eloise to school today so I didn't have to bundle up Esther(and myself) by 7:45am. (Thank you Mary...what are you doing tomorrow A.M.? ;-)

- Esther's ballet teacher gave all the moms chocolate(and I ate it all without sharing)

- We still have a full-service gas station at our corner. He pumped my gas happily whilst Esther and I enjoyed the heated truck...and then he gave Esther a candy cane.

- drive-up banking

- thank you to the stranger - who saw me starting to get Esther out of her car seat at Dunn Brothers for my desperate cup of joe(I ran out of beans yesterday) - he stopped me and told me and my daughter to stay in my car while he got my drink - and then refused my money.

- to the lovely lady who we invited to join us at our table at D'amico tonight. She was dining alone and we thoroughly enjoyed her company. Thank you for being so sweet to the girls and buying us a desert. Happy Holidays.

- the girls did not fight once today - a true holiday miracle.

I am looking forward to my next positive negative degree day tomorrow - and thank you in advance to my dear friend who is coming to shovel for me.

xoxo,t