Let it be Christmas, everywhere

Since I live in Canada, I know first hand what the lyricist is talking about when they proclaim to be "dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the one's [they] used to know." Each year, sometime around November 12 (well, exactly November 12.. I have a spoken rule in my life that declares I am not permitted to think of Christmas or snow until Remembrance Day has been observed) I break out the Christmas tunes, and the visions of sugar plum fairies begin dancing around in my head. Unfortunately, this also means that my obsession with snow takes a front row seat in the life and times of winter me. And winter me is a happy me.

So when December 20 rolled around and the Mayan apocalypse was looming over my Christmas cheer, I couldn't believe my luck. Could it be? Could we really have a white Christmas? Or would my white Christmas turn green and leave me blue as I spent another year being foiled by Global Warming's cruel sense of humour. 

Sugar plum fairies turned to snow fairies, and my mind began drifting off into hypothetical snowbanks. I wanted my world to transform into the White Witch's castle in the Chronicles of Narnia. I wanted to wake up to a world glistening white and clean and magical. 

via

Now, while we are being honest, this is pretty much what I see when there is snow. One flake turns me into a five year old kid down the Barbie aisle of the local Walmart. I go beserk. I watch out windows with Vanilla Earl Grey tea in my oversized Mickey Mouse mug (which shouldn't surprise anyone) for hours. I dig out mittens and coats and boots and walk around in it once it accumulates. I take pictures and immortalize every snowscape, visually hanging them in the gallery of my mind. And, when I am really giddy, I go in for the ultimate: I stick my tongue out and hope to capture a few flakes.

Imagine my delight when, on Christmas morning, my hometown awoke to a white world. Fresh snow glittered in the morning sun. I am sure that if Christ hadn't been born in Bethlehem, the Nativity scene would absolutely have snow. Because for me, the glory of the Lord shines through each snowflake - unique, complex, magical. 

And so I dream of white Christmases. I think it is because when I look at snow, and see the world transforming from bleak and dirty into pure and white, Frost's ministry whisks my heart away and I hear the angels proclaiming 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth; peace and goodwill to men.' In fact, I see snow and I hear this: 

Sometimes I can be such a romantic. 

Speaking of romance, check out the [my] piano. 

I guess I am thankful that the Mayan apocalypse didn't get in the way of my favourite holiday. I am also pretty thankful that Global Warming kept her cruel sense of humour away from me this year. I don't think my inner kid-in-the-Barbie-aisle-of-Walmart could have managed another green Christmas. I might have ended up singing Elvis Presley's Blue Christmas to the snow, and that would have been awkward and terrible for everyone. 

It's lovely weather...

May you and yours be blessed this Christmas season. 

Winter Past

Accepting that we might not see a real winter this season is not something I have done easily. I had such high hopes for the remaining winter months when it snowed like crazy here last weekend. Luckily, my camera was on hand, so I snapped some creative shots.

This week has been pretty busy, and so I have not had a chance to edit them to a point where I felt like justice was done. Now, however, as I reminisce about the ghosts of winter's past, I feel as though they are a healthy reminder of what this city should look like in the middle of February.

Laments.

This is what winter should look like. However, this is not what it looks like out
my window anymore.

I love this shot. I love that you can see the snow falling. 

Word of the Day: meme

Quote of the Day: Me: "We can fellowship about our worldview about the moist, palpable cake!"

Laura: "That is an ugly sentence."

And February feels like Spring

Watching the sun set tonight reminds me of summer.

It's a curious thing, feeling the warmth of a sunset in winter. I've been curled up in my golden armchair all afternoon, making my way through The Fellowship of the Ring, and listening to various soundtracks on my computer.

And now, as the last lights of the day are beginning to sink beyond the horizon, I wonder if winter will ever come. I'm fearful it won't, only because I see the trees budding presumptuously.

Word of the Day: Numenor

Quote of the Day: "University isn't designed so that you can do all the work." Well, isn't that the truth.

So many good things...

So many good things happen when it snows.

- My first (real) kiss.
- Christmas
- A sparkling world.
- Entering Narnia
- Snow-ball fights
- Hot Chocolate with friends.
- Pretty walks.
- Icicles.
- It snowed on my first birthday.

I came out of my Classical History class and the ground was covered. And I stood there in the snow and let it fall on my face. Just stood there for about ten minutes in the middle of Redeemer's academic building parkinglot, face to the sky, letting the flakes fall on my face. In fact, I'm fairly sure I looked a little something like this:

In my imagination, I'm fairly sure that is what the night looked like. 

The night ended with a parking-lot wide snowball fight sometime around midnight, pelting our friend from Zimbabwe (who had never seen snow), with the wettest, most amazing first-snow snowballs. 

Now, we are entering into our weeks of exams. I am 3 exams, one issue of The Crown, and 2 final papers away from Christmas break. Then I have an unreasonable amount of novels to read for my second semester courses. 

Word of the Day: Coffee

Quote of the Day: "Tonight's the night the world begins again." Googoo Dolls, Better Days

Snowmagedon (The Sequel)

I wonder if London's snowstorm was the calm...

The full story of the snow storm that has hit SouthWestern Ontario can be found here. And I encourage you to watch some of the footage. The woman speaking on the phone is Wilma Zondag, a wonderful person who has the gift of organization and leadership. East Christian Reformed Church was my home church for 8 years.

What people do not understand about the snowstorm is that the 402 between London and Sarnia is the only major road connecting those cities. Strathroy, my hometown, is the only town between them with 2 Tim Hortons' and more than 3 stop lights (We have about 8, and that officially make us the coolest!). So, when the news says people are stranded between London and Sarnia, in Strathroy, they aren't kidding. The stretch between Strathroy and Sarnia is farm country, completely open for blowing wind and terrible driving conditions. The 402 is a vital highway simply for the transportation of goods that come from the Sarnia/Port Huron border. So, if something like Snowmagedon hits, they aren't kidding when they say it is bad.

You can see the photos too!

Yet, I have a response to all the people who are wondering why they cannot just have the choppers that the army sent out working at a faster rate...

The weather is still bad enough, that it is dangerous for them to fly. Snowplows can't get out because there is too much snow for them to operate. Sometimes it happens that the only way to find people is to put on your snowshoes, get in your snowmobile, and go. Welcome to my neck of the woods.

The following photo was sent to me from my friend, Craig DeBoer. He lives in Wyoming, ON, which is halfway between Strathroy and Sarnia. This is what his farm looked like yesterday:

I love winter. I really do.

But I also love it when people are able to travel safely. My dad, who left for work yesterday morning, is stuck out in the snow, he's staying at someone's house near Wyoming. If it wasn't for kind strangers who were willing to take in those who managed to get out before complete disaster, the Can Forces would have a lot more work on their hands.

Word of the Day: Preposterous

Quote of the Day: "The little girl found Narnia behind a Walmart Photocentre Cashier Desk!" -Me, waiting to get a new passport photo taken

Ancaster has Snow!

I never thought this day would happen. I think that, in one snowfall, we have more snow here now than we did during last year's winter. Crazy stuff!

Campus last night was excited, to put it mildly.

I sat on the porch with a blanket, watching the snow fall against streetlights. And then I watched 70% of Redeemer students bundle up in their winter stuff and have a campus-wide snowball fight. Amazing.

Word of the Day: Defeat

Quote of the Day: "Oh come Emmanuel."

Snowmagedon

If you know anything about South-Western Ontario, you know that in the winter it gets snow like no where else in Canada.

If you have been an avid reader of my blog since the beginning, you know that Hamilton/Ancaster hasn't seen a good snow in about a two years. I refer to my neck of the universe as 'the tropics', which really isn't true, because it gets awfully cold, it just doesn't snow.

Well, recently London, ON, has experienced a phenomenon that my friend Megan Cowan has affectionately dubbed as Snowmagedon.

This is what London ON looks like (I may or may not have, with the first being the more likely of the two, stolen this from my best friend, Kelsey Kalverda):

Ancaster looks like this:

As you can see, we are quite lacking on the snow. In fact, for us students, knowing that the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College have been shut down for a few days, are actually hoping the opposite. We don't want a Snowmagedon here. We want to write our exams and go home for Christmas. 

Word of the Day: aforementioned (Amanda used it in an essay)

Quote of the Day: "Bloody...DIARRHEA! What? I didn't want to insult the British!" Ben Lootens

Before the Advent season

I have started listening to Christmas music.

I know that it is only the 14th of November. I know that it isn't cold enough for snow. I know that it is too early to put up the Christmas tree (though, I will likely do that this week, too). I know that black Friday doesn't happen until after the American Thanksgiving. I know that Remembrance Day was only 3 days ago.

I know that the Advent season has not started yet.

But what is wrong with being excited about the birth of my Saviour?

Christmas isn't some secularized tradition to me. It isn't about presents, or finishing exams, or snow, or Christmas trees (although, these are fun parts of the holiday season). It is about the fact that in a little over 40 days, I get to celebrate with my family and friends the fact that my God became human in order that He should die for my sins. He died so that I can have life.

My playlist is not filled with songs about Santa Claus. I get tired of the songs about snow and sleigh-rides (though, the romantic - and romance in the literary sense, here - idea of it all, is fun, and does add to the joy of the season). I'm not concerned with Frosty the Snowman, or the Grinch who stole Christmas, mostly because these things don't define Christmas.

Yet, as I look ahead to the Advent season, I can't help but be excited. Excited for lighting candles, for reading through Isaiah in preparation. For seeing family. For finishing exams (goodness, those are coming up quickly). For seeing houses lighted up. For seeing God's creation asleep under a blanket of snow. I'm excited to be a part of the body of Christ as it celebrates the coming of Jesus. He is the greatest gift there is.

That aside, I love snow, and wouldn't mind if Ancaster got some of that this year.

Word of the Day: discourse

Quote of the Day: "God created woman, and placed her in front of Adam, and he said, 'Wo! Man!' " Pastor John

2010 and a New Semester

Beginning semester visits downtown. Walks through Meadowlands. Catching snowflakes on my tongue.

Oh, and it all begins.

Word of the Day: Syllabus

Quote of the Day: "What if snow is God's dandruff?" Keeley

Well, That's a Snowstorm!

I just want to say:

HOLY SNOW!

Word of the Day: Snow

Quote of the Day: *wind, snow, more snow.*

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes

I cannot believe how much it has snowed!

Lines from a lovely email that my friend sent me.

"I wonder if you like the Beatles. I ate a pancake this morning. I am almost a man."

Wise words.

Kristi visited today. It was fabulous. I think I am ready for Christmas break to be over.

Word of the Day: Chicken

Quote of the Day: "A Whopper by any other name would not be a Whopper." Greg

Worthy of Calvin?

Meet Graham.

Yes, he's a masterpeice isn't he? We were all quite proud of the 5 energetic (and equally crazy) people who took the time to create this snow giant. And when I say giant, I am not kidding. To give you an idea of just how big this thing is, I should have you know that my roommate could fit into the pylon serving as 'Graham's' hat.

A later addition to the giant included another banana for a nose (the store was out of normal sized carrots), which to everyone's amusement has started to accumulate a nice sized icicle on the very tip. Graham the snowman has a runny nose. (photos to follow in later post).

I wonder if this monster is Calvin worthy (my window is covered in the Calvin and Hobbes snowman comics..), but regardless, I'm fairly sure that the entirety of campus looks at 'Graham' daily and shakes their heads.

Personally, I think he's a nice touch. Although I have almost walked into him several times this week (he's blocking the ramp), I appreciate the protection he offers. I mean, who WOULDN'T be scared of an 8-9 foot tall snowman who has snow-shovels for arms?!

Perhaps he is not worthy to be included in the fantastic comic strip of Calvin and Hobbes, but he has potential. I like him..

Well, Hello Snow!

I'm home for the weekend, and I cannot believe how much snow they have here! I mean, I've been whining for like a month about how there is no snow, and how I love snow, and blah blah blah. But I think, my problem was just that I was in the wrong place.

Honestly, it is beautiful. Unfortunately, I have forgotten my camera, and cannot take a picture of it. :(

FIGHT!!

What started out as a midnight walk in the snow turned into a vicious snowball fight between most of the people in First Parkinglot.

I'm cold.
I'm wet.
I'm soo unbelievably happy.

God is Good!

Rain, Rain, Go Away..

Once again, I think the entirety of Ontario is getting snow except for little old Ancaster. Welcome to the tropics people: where the winters are warm and it rains a lot.

As much as I love going for walks in the rain, I like snow more. I wish it would snow enough that the ground would be blanketed white.

"Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day.."

It would be nice to at least have November-ish weather.

First Snow of the Season

"Let it snow, let it snow!"

Tonight was the first snow of the season. There wasn't enough to cover the ground, but for a few moments it was white. Softly, falling, dancing. "Me and snow, we go way back." (Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls)

It's become a tradition of sorts for me to go out into the first snow and just stand, if only for a few seconds. It is my favourite time of the year. It is so quiet. The night the snow first falls, the world is at peace and the air smells crisp. I love it when snow falls on my face. I love feeling it fall and linger onto my eyelashes until it melts and I need to blink 'else the water will trickle into my eye.

I love scarves and mittens (not gloves) and boots and coats. I love hot chocolate and cold winter nights and coming back inside after near frost-bite. I love the tingle in my fingers as the blood in my body warms up. I just love snow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuS5IrQPqFg&feature=related

I feel much the same as Lorelai on the matter. 'The world changes colour,' to quote her exactly. 'I'll take [snow] in any form.'

The first snow is exhilarating. It is wonderful. It is miraculous. Oh, how I love it!