I shouldn't complain too much, though. I did get out of the house two days ago for some grocery shopping and eating Mexican food. It was great; I felt almost "normal" again.
Unfortunately, my taste buds aren't cooperating these days. I don't know when I'll get my sense of taste back, but nothing tastes good anymore. I ate a piece of cheese the other day and it was like, "What is this? A piece of rubber?"
The roads are navigable around these parts, but our driveway leaves something to be desired. Fortunately, we have a Subaru (first time we've owned one), and it's a dream car for snow driving. But even with the mighty Subaru all-wheel drive, we slipped and slid coming up our hilly driveway and almost didn't make it!
My husband ventured out today for some last-minute Christmas shopping and I admit to feeling entirely jealous. That was supposed to be me! Oh, well . . . what are you going to do? Can't fight City Hall (or the weather). :~)
My husband likes to say, "Nobody likes to listen to a whiner." Well, we've said it a few times around the house the last few days since we've all been stuck together with no reprieve. It's an interesting dynamic. Families these days are usually going in so many different directions; it seems unnatural to spend so much time together, yet I think we can learn something from it.
The bonding is good for us, even when we get on each other's nerves. I've had some great conversations with my daughter this week and I don't know that we would have had them otherwise.
And when we need to break away, we go to our respective "corners." I hit the Internet, my husband reads, my daughter bakes or works on her college essays. Later, we come together to eat, play games, or watch movies. Something tells me it's not all bad for us. Still . . . I'll be glad when the snow lets up and we can get back to normal.
My daughter emailed her friends the other day and told them that she was feeling lonely stuck at home with no one but her parents. She thought that her friends with siblings were much better off in this predicament than her. She was surprised to find out that all of her friends were feeling bored and put out by being stuck with their own families as well!
Happily, a couple of her friends (sister and brother) visited our house for a day and spent the night this week. They went sledding down our driveway, watched movies, and played games. Even with all of that, the three of them were bored at some point.
Our daughter made an interesting comment after they left. She said she learned that there is a difference between being lonely and bored. We agreed that a person can be both lonely and bored whether they are with someone or not. Woo, another life lesson in the books. :~)
After all of this rambling about the state of modern American family life, I'll leave you with some photos of the beautiful snow surrounding our house. Please click here.
I'm thankful for the beauty of the snow, for a warm, safe home to live in, for being well-fed, for my family and friends, for medical treatment and caregivers to heal me, and for the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 at 1:53PM 
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