I live in Jackson, Tennessee, that's West Tennessee, the "Mid-South" and we have the seasons here... real seasons, they can be seen, "in the traditional ways."  I say this because one of my best friends, Richard, lives in Panama City, Florida.  He says there they have two seasons: 'summer and not-summer.'  He went to college here in Jackson... he misses the change of the seasons.  Spring and summer are especially nice. 

I have always lived here; it's the place of my birth and I like it most of the time.  However, I catch myself in pure envy of those of you who live in places where you get SNOW, significant SNOW!  I love SNOW!  It may very well be because I live in Jackson, Tennessee, where we literally get excited over every flake that falls.  I write this today because my friend Brad lives in Chicago, "home of significant snow," and I shared with him about a recent school closing. I am a teacher and teachers love snow.  We PRAY for snow days!!!  We have 13 weather days built into our school calendar and if we don't use them, we work them.  Our school system has closed school, on more than one occassion, because snow was predicted, though it never came.  This is especially amusing to people who scorn our hyper-excitement over snow and our inability to drive on it.  We call these people 'Yankees.'  We scorn their disdain for our excitement over snow! 

However, this past Friday, January the 16th, we set a new standard...

Our school system closed because of COLD.  I don't remember this ever happening, ever, and I went to school here and worked in this system since I was twenty-one.  The forecasters predicted Friday would be 4 degrees with a wind chill of minus 10 and our superintendent closed school... the whole system and all after school activities...  And, it actually got that cold. I am always amazed when the forecasters get it right. I believe that only God knows what the weather is going to do and He makes the weather forecasters look foolish on a regular basis.  God is the ultimate 'weather Man' and all the technology in the world can't get past Him.

So, here I am in my cozy, warm home... loving my 4 day weekend, (there's Dr. King's holiday on Monday) and marveling at the technology that brings us the weather.  With the heat index and wind chill factors, the meterologists get a lot of attention... all I know is the house is warm, the coffee is hot, and "baby, it's cold out there."

Karen in Tennessee

RainyDayGirl

January 17, 2009

Got SNOW?????????