What's that white stuff?

As I type, it is snowing. Snow. Snowing! The weather gods have lost it. Our temperature was nearly 80 degrees just two days ago. It was so cold today that I didn't even go out, except to walk Gracie-- and short walks they were because she turned herself around as soon as she did what she was out there to do. Not even curiosity about the daily 20%-off discount at the consignment shop could get me out there today.

The flakes are small, and falling slowly, and I have to admit that it looks quite pretty. There are red azaleas and pink impatiens in the front yard, all dusted with snowflakes. The red roses in the backyard are dripping in white, as if tiny feathers were tossed on them. The leaves of the white lilacs are filled with snow and they look like bushes of ricotta-filled shells. The snowflakes are sticking to the grass, but not to the streets and sidewalks because they're too wet with all the rain we've had since last night.

There is a message on our answering machine, from our Miss C-- "It's snowing! It's snowing! Where are you?! It's snowing and it looks so cool!" And where was I-- outside our house, watching the three little kids from down the street trying to scoop up handfuls of snowflakes so they could make snowballs. The kids are five, four, and three-- it's the first snow they've ever seen. And if the weather gods don't get their act together, it won't be their last.