What blizzard? It's a couple of flakes!

Proverbs 27:8 "Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home."

*Today's post's title comes (appropriately enough) from a cult classic—none other than Groundhog Day, starring comic genius Bill Murray. On a related note, don't drive angry!

Call me a stay-in-the-nest kind of bird. At least for today. Snowpocalypse 2011 left me little choice, but stilll... I think I'm making real progress towards being content to stay home now and again. And not just when there are four foot snow drifts in my driveway.  (See photo above, taken this morning. In case you were wondering, that chainlink fence is about five feet high.)

I used to hate staying home all day. It made me feel claustrophobic, to the point of literally pacing the house looking for things to keep me busy and distracted from the fact that whatever uber-exciting action was going on outside the walls of my house, I was missing it! Call it cabin fever. Or the affliction of a "restless" spirit. Or maybe, until now, I just never had a place that felt enough like "home" that I actually wanted to stay there.

Things are different now. Today was a snow day from work. And while the blizzardy conditions forced me to stay in, I loved every minute of it. Here's what I did today:

• Not sleep in. This might sound like a complaint, but actually, it amazes me how awake I (ever the night owl, never the morning person) can be at 6:45 a.m. when I don't have to get ready for work.
• Watched the weather (easy since it was on every single channel), whilst marveling at the insanely high snow drifts around our house, cars, and every other object unlucky enough to be stuck outside during last night's momentous Snowmageddon/Groundhog's Eve Blizzard.
• Made chocolate chip pancakes—essential nourishment for shoveling.
• Attacked the wall of snow outside our house and helped my husband unbury our two snow-encrusted vehicles. We also took time to document the ridiculous snow drifts—mostly to send to my in-laws in Florida.
• Argued with my husband about why he shouldn't go to work. My sentiment (if not my exact words) was something along the lines of "don't be a hero."
• Sighed heavily as I watched him leave for work. Guess heroism is in his blood or something.
• Resumed shoveling sans husband.
• Warmed up with some hot chocolate and marshmallows.
• Did laundry, ate tomato soup, and watched a lot of random TV.
• Caught up on my blog reading (and writing).
• Watched Groundhog Day.

As you can see, nothing spectacular happened today—and maybe that was what I loved about it.

Happy post-blizzard/Groundhog Day!