Manna From Heaven

5:00 am this morning - the phone rings. I'm still in deep slumber, so I reach for the phone without concern bad news could be waiting on the other end. "Good Morning! This is so-and-so, assistant principal at Dimond High (school where my DH teaches) - just passing along the message that it's a SNOW DAY and schools are closed." BOING - my eyes fly open and a smile quickly spreads across my face. A SNOW DAY??? - Manna from heaven.

During winter, there are several days I'm only half asleep in the early morning due to the anticipation that a snow day call is on the horizon. Those usually occur after I've witnessed large, fluffy flakes falling from the sky before I go to bed. Or perhaps those afternoons when students in my 6th hour class witness snow falling and longingly wish for a snow day the following day. I'd say 99.99% of the time, the early morning call never comes when I hope it would. Today was a total surprise - out of the blue. Like finding money in your pocket.

There was no snow last night. So when I heard we had a snow day, I ran downstairs & looked out the window expecting to witness at least 3 feet of soft fluffy whiteness covering our yard. Snow days are fun because not only are they an unexpected day off from work, but a day to go outside and revel in the gift from nature. That is not to be today. When I looked out the window - there was not 3 feet of snow blanketing my yard. I was greeted with rain. Rain + snowy streets = icy & dangerous streets. Apparently the streets are too icy for school buses to safely transport students to and from school. So - it's not really a snow day as much as it's an ice day.

Oh well - it still means I can enjoy this gift. I didn't have any lesson plans that had to be executed today - no reactions left overnight, no dissection specimens that will go bad if they aren't tended to today. My students will have an extra day to get their pre-labs completed - a win/win situation for all.

Now - what to do w/this gift of time? I see knitting in my future - in my pajamas while drinking warm, yummy coffee from my favorite ceramic mug (thanks Sandy!) instead of my insulated travel mug. I need this time to:

1) Finish the Thrummed Mittens I'm working on for NaKniMitMo. Of course, now that our freakish cold snap is over (sorry midwest - remember, sharing is caring!), these mittens might be a bit overkill.

2) Move past the garter section of the February Lady Sweater and on to the more interesting lace section. My goal is to finish this before I go down to Madrona Fiber Arts retreat in February.

3) Finish my striped Noro scarf. I think it's long enough - I just need to bind off & block it a smidge.

4) Sew the button on the Robin's Egg Blue Hat. The hat itself is very short, not sure how much I like it.

5) Decide whether or not to rip out a sock I've been working on that I'm really not liking. I finished the heel flap last night (it's a toe up pattern) & just don't like how the yarn & pattern are getting along. The sock is also too big for me (not a gauge issue - a measurement error where I began the gusset). My bet is that I'll rip this puppy out. Even if I finished the pair, I don't know if I could, in good conscience, give this ugly thing to a friend. I hesitate to mention the pattern & yarn for fear of offending anyone. Let's leave it at - it's just not my style.

So - while I won't be busy entertaining educating teenagers, I will be busy in other pursuits.

I hope you enjoy a great day too! Photos next post - just not motivated right now to find my camera. :0)