All night long the wind beat against the windows and drove bits of ice and freezing rain into the ground, over the vehicles parked outside, and left the branches of naked winter trees dressed in sparkling evening gowns of ice that looked almost soft, like reindeer antlers.

School was canceled, and in the calm after the ice storm when the streets were still skating rinks and the wind viciously tossed shards of ice around like tiny daggers, I made a quick trip to the store to stock up on milk, Oreos, chips and movies- essentials. The way the wind was beginning to spin and the frozen branches were snapping we figured this was the best opportunity to run any last minute errands.

We were, from experience, correct. There is now a dangerous blizzard raging outside, with wind that snaps like a wet towel. The flakes are frenzied, driven by wild-eyed Old Man Winter, whom I imagine reigns from above all this with his whip, enticing the flakes with a voice roaring, “Tanze! Tanze!” (My Old Man Winter is very German, not a Nazi, but a grizzled ancient version of St. Nicholas crossed with Father Time, majestic and grey, fearsome, but gentle. Wizened enough to understand the necessity of His winter, but gentle enough to provide lush evergreen boughs for the sparrows. I suppose my version of Old Man Winter is much like my vision of God.)

My mother came home early from work as many local businesses closed down. This is no ordinary winter storm. North Dakota, Fargo, especially, is not known for closing schools and businesses at the drop of a hat. This isn’t like Texas where a few flakes are cause for a state holiday. It takes true natural danger to shut down the people of the North. And this is, truly a beautiful storm. I haven’t seen the likes since 1997.

There is something great about being trapped in your own home (provided the electricity holds so you have heat). Not enough people in the USA have the opportunity to simply stop life for a few hours. I think Nature is meant to shut us down to force us into periods of rest that we need. In California no one ever stops. Life just keeps going, people just keep working; the slowest people move is when they are stuck in traffic and there is no peace to be had. In many ways I wish I were at home in California with this going on. I enjoy the opportunity to clean out my closets, play a few board games, and snuggle with my family with no guilt from piddly things I ought to be accomplishing. The beauty of a blizzard is that no one in his or her right mind is out being productive. Productivity is stupid in the face of a blizzard! It’s all about hunkering down at home and simply being.

I am home at last.