Until Now I Never Had Much in Common With Sylvestor Stallone

This morning the tempture was about half-past freezing, so I thought it might be perfect for an early run.

Shocking, I know, because I am the one who refuses to take my children to the pool when it's below 85 and I don't even break a good sweat until the mercury hits the mid 90's. I may have determined the location of my college education in part due to the climate and have never once complained about heat on our many trips to Phoenix.

What I'm saying is: I like it hot. Really hot. Not cold. Ever. Not balmy. Not cool. Not refreshing. And brisk only in the month of October. HOT.

So I am baffling even myself with this new/sudden desire to pile on the clothes and voluntarily run outside in the snow.

This morning, I had no less than five layers of clothing on my upper half alone. My hands didn't warm up until 20 minutes out (when I could no longer feel them anyway) and I spent three or four minutes of the run trying to determine if my toes were still attached to the greater part of my foot. (I am happy to report that they were.)

Yet there is a serenity so rare that only the sharp bite of cold and glimmer of snow create. Crunching ground brings monotony that is rhythmic and calming. So quiet was the neighborhood that I heard with amazing clarity each pick of the guitar strings through the miracle of my iPod.

Just when I determined that I didn't need to turn back to avoid accidentally and prematurely freezing my organs for science, I realized that I was actually ok. The uphill climb forced warmth through my blood vessels while working in tandem with all my gloriously synthetic clothing. This formed a haven of sorts for me to focus on the Creator who scattered the snow, froze the earth, and originated the idea of fire for warmth. (And Gore-Tex, too, but I do not believe that was available to the early church.)

The simplicity and beauty of it all was just perfect. Simple strides in snow, heavenly harmonies through the earbuds, and a body blessed with the ability to run and push itself harder and farther.

So I couldn't help but wonder if that's exactly what Rocky Balboa thought while he tranied in Russia to prepare for the big fight. Running in the cold and racing the clydesdales certainly bolstered his fortitude. After today, I know there certainly is a precious strength that comes from facing the elements and feeling victorious.

There is also probably a strength that comes from knocking out Ivan Drago after fifteen rounds when even the Russian Polit Bureau begins to chant "U-S-A! U-S-A!", but I will stick with the chilly wintery running.

My Best Work Since "Highlights"

Life right this very second is pretty amazing...huge, beautiful snowflakes are falling outside our very large window, the kids are napping (or so I choose to believe), I am watching the Food Network, and spending some time on the computer.

Sounds great if I was a recluse. Or simply a mom in need of a few moments to gather sanity before tonight's HUGE SLEEPOVER OF CHRISTMAS FEST PALOOZA.

Seems that much of the country is under heavy/ice fall and school has been cancelled in record proportions.

Anyway, one of my favorite bloggers, Shannon, is hosting a Snow Day haiku contest. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Head over there to read some pretty hilarious aspiring mommy poets.

If sixth grade poetry isn't your thing, I'll go ahead and show you the two I submitted. I have no pretenses about winning, but just thought I'd join in the snowy fun based on some...personal...experiences today.

Not too snowy for
Starbucks run cocoa spills
Clean up on aisle one

Mixing, eating dough
Cookies, brownies, cakes delish
Throw scale into snow

I Get Cold Just Looking at This

Just in Time for Your New Year's Diet

Today I am participating in a soup recipe exchange because I am a lover of soups in the months between October and March. During the summer I return to a steady diet of ice cream.

Life is too short to mess around with exotic vegetables and broths, so this recipe includes two of the Industrial Age's finest products: Velveeta and Ro-Tel. Together again. Thank you, Lord.

Queso Soup
1 box au Gratin potatoes
1 11 oz. can of corn (drained)
1 can rotel
2 c. water
2 c. milk
Small box of Velveeta Light (I hear that is MUCH healthier than regular Velveeta)

Make in a 5 quart saucepan.
1. While still in the plastic bag, break potatoes into smallish pieces.

2. Place potatoes, water, corn, and rotel in a saucepan. Bring just to a boil. Turn down and simmer until potatoes are tender (approx. 10 minutes).

3. Mix package of powdered cheese (from potatoes) to milk. Add mixture to saucepan.

4. Cut Velveeta into small cubes and add to saucepan until melted. Stir as needed.

Important Tip: Keep heat low so cheese doesn't scorch!

Serve with nacho chips or warm tortillas.

Personally, I like to heat the flour tortilla, butter it, roll up that bad boy, and dip it into the cheesey soupy goodness as a utensil of sorts.

I'd also suggest serving with a side of treadmill.

For more great soups, check out BooMama.

WHITE, FLUFFY, & COLD

Oh boy. It is snowing. When I looked out the window this morning I let out an audible scream. Think shriek of horror, not squeal of delight.

Suddenly the beautiful, glorious golden fall has been hijacked by winter.

This presents a problem for our family on several levels. Yes, snow is pretty, but I am only able to joyfully interact with snow in the month of December. It is very bothersome to me at other times. Like in October.

1) We had a minor fireplace explosion last week. The fireplace people can't fix it until Novemeber. Grrrrrrreat.

My one consolation in snowy weather is sitting together around the fireplace with huge mugs of hot chocolate, watching football, and playing Corn Hole indoors. So technically, I guess we can still do that...but the fireplace won't be on and we'll have to watch out for shards of glass.

I suppose I need to explain our wacky fireplaces to those of you who live anywhere besides Metro Denver...it is against building code here to have a wood-burning fireplace. Apparently the climate is so dry that the fire hazard is off the charts. So they have these nice little self-contained units that you turn on with a light switch!

When we first moved here, it seemed so very wrong to take all romance and danger out of the equation with these self-contained units. No lumber, no matches, no stray sparks flying wildly into the living room. Bummer.

2) No coats. With the prospect of a move to warmer climates looming, we hadn't pulled the trigger on coats for the kids this year.

"Have them wear last year's," you might suggest. Jackson was on Year Three of his coat (size 4) and Lilly was on year 2 (size 2T). Their current clothing is in sizes 7 and 5T, so shimmying into their old outerwear isn't really possible.

Also, I sold them in a garage sale last spring.

3) Minimal heat. The upstairs furance is working (kids are warm!) The downstairs furnace is not (Brad and I are mostly numb). That means Brad will abandon his side of the bed and snuggle with me for warmth. Never mind that one of my love languages is Personal Space.

Thank goodness for our heated mattress pad--the most life-changing Christmas gift EVER. (Wait, maybe tied for 1st with TiVo).

I have been writing awhile now. It is still snowing. Not stopping. The lamp post in our front yard is giving me flashbacks of Narnia.

I'm so grateful it will all melt tomorrow.