Blizzard!

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Blizzard!

There’s over a foot of snow outside and more falling.  Greg is working from home, and there’s a travel ban keeping other non-essential employees home, too.  Even the grocery stores are closed – luckily everyone knew it was coming, so I suspect people’s fridges and pantries are stocked, and we’re all better off staying home.

We’ve been enjoying the cozy feel of being snowed in with a pumpkin pancake breakfast and plenty of hot coffee.

My Adopted Fire Hydrant

My favorite part of today, though, was sneaking out of the house into the winter storm at 7:30 this morning to shovel out my adopted fire hydrant.

Yes, I’ve adopted a fire hydrant.

Our fire department has an interactive map that allows residents to adopt fire hydrants near their homes for the winter.  Participants volunteer to keep them shoveled out so they’re accessible in case of an emergency.  I adopted one close to our house, and was out there shoveling before Greg was out of bed.  (I gave the boys cereal and left Will in charge of getting Dad if they needed him.  It was fine.)

Chances are slim that anyone will need access to that fire hydrant… but I still felt a little rebellious and heroic braving the blustery winds and wading through snow to get there and shovel it out.  I was not just stay-at-home-mom.  I was blizzard-braving fire department volunteer, out in the elements, keeping my neighborhood safe.

Even acknowledging how dramatic my feelings of heightened self worth were didn’t dull the good feeling I got from ten minutes worth of shoveling around that little fire hydrant.  Laughing at myself made the whole thing that much better.

We all need purpose, we all need to feel useful, we all enjoy giving back.  Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be much – it still feels great.

When I went back to check on it at 11:30, my whole family came with me.  The boys loved getting out in the blizzard with their shovels, and we whisked them back in before they could get too cold.  Now they, too, feel like contributing members of their family and community.

So while you’re braving the winter weather, if you are, go ahead and see if you can adopt your own hydrant.  Or check on your neighbors.  Help someone shovel. Drop off a loaf of freshly baked bread next door.  You’d be surprised how good it feels 🙂

 

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2 comments

  1. Good for you, Kelly! That is an awesome thing. And great lesson for Will and Andrew.

    I’ve done two treadmill walk/runs and plan to do a third to make it 10 miles for the day.

    In between logging into work:)

    Enjoy and let’s hope the power stays on!!

    Amanda

    1. Jealous of your treadmill runs today! I didn’t get time, and am feeling a little sad that school is cancelled for the kids tomorrow, too! I’ll have to put on the t.v. and grab a few miles just for sanity 🙂 Hope your legs feel great!

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