SANTA IS ON THE ROOF!

Actually, it is my sweet Thomas shoveling off the porch and sun room roof with his new aluminum shovel. He must be taking it off in layers. He has been up there for some time.

I did stick my head out the bedroom window and ask him if it was slippery. It was not. Then I asked if I should worry, again, I was not to worry.

January is moving right along in the snow banks of North Dakota. We were even featured on the news for the 100 car pile up on the interstate. That is really something when the entire state of North Dakota only has 630,000 people, (up from 600,00 in last census).

It also goes to show that 629,900 people were smart and did not try to do the interstate in white out conditions. The weather was such that our neighbor, who was determined to go to the bank and the market on a blizzard day, was talked into coming to dinner at the house rather than going out. The next day she was asked if she wanted to go, she could be driven in a vehicle that is taller and 4WD. She declined. You can tell SHE is from this part of the country. She went by herself.

When I was listening to her talk at the dinner table, I was thinking about youth and how, when young, you are invisible. Recalling a blizzard when I was a teen and school was let out early. Mother was wringing her hands when the blue Chevy finally pulled up in front of the house. She was frightened I would get hurt or stuck and just why didn't I come home right after school?

She could not listen to why. What she may have never known, or forgotten is, I had friends who didn't have cars and had a lot of blocks to walk to get home in a driving snow storm. These people where my friends, I was not going to leave them stranded.

Men, of course, always have a different slant. Daddy said the Chevy was not that good in snow and I may have put myself in jeopardy as well. He of course, had studded tires on his vehicle.

There were no cell phones then. But in our city, I would guess one could walk up to any house, find someone who would make a phone call for you and keep you warm inside while waiting.

It is five decades since that great storm. The oven is cooking beef stew and baking chickens. If you are stuck in the snow, come over, eat, sleep, and visit with us about the times you had to be out in it!

e