Sunday, January 7, 2018

wind and cold

The other day when it snowed, we got ten or eleven inches. That is nothing unusual for this part of the world, but the cold we've had here since a little after Christmas has been quite unusual, and the wind at times!


"Now great winds roar down the canyons of the sky. Branches crash, brooks race, snow scuds along greystone walls. ...despite the scientists I find nobody knows whence it comes or whither it goes. The dark of north woods is in it, the white breath of polar ice - how it blows away the settled feelings of snug hearth and flickering candlelight!"

-   Gladys Taber



And this morning, the coldest of them all, arriving at church to find the heat wasn't on! Not working!  I was dressed warmly with down coat, tall boots and warm gloves which stayed on my hands as much as possible during Mass, but I had to sit in our warm sunny living room a long time afterward to get warmed up. I read a lot of this and that, under a blanket.

Which brings me to another story from Gladys:

"This weekend Connie came home and on Sunday morning went to church with me. In the middle of the sermon, a terrible crash sounded, a crackling, bashing sound... The minister was talking about Paul, and he only paused a minute and went on about Paul and the shipwreck. Paul said the ship would not be wrecked, in Acts something or other. I admired Paul's courage. Another crack came. 
Then the sweet-faced organist stepped over and murmured something to the minister and moved to the back of the church. It turned out the organ pipes had sort of blown up as it was a very cold day. It sometimes happens, announced the minister."

I thank God for the people who make down coats, cashmere gloves, wool sweaters and 180s (ear protectors).



2 comments:

  1. Oh Lisa! No heating in church is awful! Poor you. Coats are so much better and warmer than when I was little when all we had were wool coats with woollen scarves, hats and gloves. Thank God for warm central heating at home too! xx <3 xx

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    1. And, Clare, it was around zero degrees, or possibly lower. Not that cold inside the church, but still - cold!! Yes, thank God for central heating at home!

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