The Blizzard of '07

It's a rare occurrence, but the weather forecasters predicted with accuracy the Blizzard of '07. Determined that weather panic would not disrupt my life, I awoke with plans of meeting my friend Julia for breakfast. We consulted with each other briefly about a half hour before we were to meet, and hearty Ohio-transplanted-to-Michigan girls that we are, we decided that a little snow was not to interfere.

So there we were at Panera, enjoying our lovely egg souffles and coffee, catching up on our children, our work, life in general, reminiscing about the good old days when we worked together at our local Christian bookseller's (that's how Julia and I met), and just having a nice time, when I happened to glance out the window. I suddenly realized that I could no longer see the main road from my seat in the restaurant because the blizzard had come! For a moment Julia and I both paused to think that Panera would not be the worst place to be stranded--it features a fireplace, comfy chairs, and obviously plenty of good food--but reality hit and we realized we had to go home to our families. Why? Because we Ohio women will not allow a little nasty weather to keep us from our homesteads and our young 'uns.

So today I am very thankful for coats, hats, gloves, boots, warm houses, furnaces, blankets, and all things that protect us from the driving cold of blizzards and icy winds. And I'm also thankful for the courage and creativity of Katie, who withstood the elements to capture these pictures.