March Musings 14: Hunkering Down

Me:
Waiting in the stillness of the night.
Storm approaching by morning.
In anticipation, sleep comes.
She:   
Mother Nature tiptoed in, 
silently blanketed earth with
softly laid quilts of winter white.
Quietly, departed before dawn.
Me:
Peeking out to view the world, 
expecting mounds of white 
marshmallows but only
roads well plowed and
a layer of snow seen.
Returned to
slumber.
We:
Awakening 
to pelting sounds 
tapping at our windows.
Sounds augmented-sleet.
They:
Quoting inches, high
winds, cold temperatures.
Emergency conditions in place. 
Schools closed. Hunker down time!
Me:
Time to slow down: cook, clean, write.
2017 Blizzard reduced to Winter Storm Stella.

Stay tuned for more news from area meteorologists! The following digitals compositions were inspired by the winter storm.

Created with Word Swag

This post is the 14th in the series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge.

March Musings 13: Waiting

"Here We Snow Again" is a tune that Long Islanders will be singing tomorrow as the Stella Blizzard blasts our area with arctic air. All day long, the weather reports and meteorologists have been reporting the latest happenings with the nor'easter that will begin in about 1 hour. Schools are closed; county emergency teams are preparing for rigorous snow removal; officials have sent out multiple warnings. 

REFLECTION:

While listening to the late evening weather report, I pause to reflect on last Friday's snowstorm that slowed down the opening of the LILAC/NRC Conference. This storm did not prevent the educators from a day of learning. At the close of the conference, I walked into the glass enclosed front foyer and looked out onto a winter wonderland. I was amazed by the beauty and calmness all around me. 

DIGITAL TOOL TO CAPTURE WINTER:

This afternoon, I recreated last week's setting with the free online tool, FotoJet. Last week, I was introduced to this site that advertises that it will "turn your photos into works of art." As you can see below, one of FotoJet's artistic template provided an attractive design to compliment both my original photo and poem. You may be interested in trying out this tool that is easy to use. Being creative is a snapshot away. 

UPCOMING STORM NEWS:

ABC 7 News is now reporting blizzard conditions, coastal flooding, white outs, and mountains of snow. Commuters are asked to stay off the road and use public transportation instead of their cars. I am definitely heeding this warning.

MUSICAL BREAK: 

I found a video of the song, While I Shovel The Snow by The Walkmen, that reminds me there will be much shoveling going on in my neighborhood tomorrow. The last line of the song, "There's no life like the slow life," will be a topic of conversation tomorrow as most people will be forced to slow down by Mother Nature.

FINAL THOUGHT:

Tonight, I am looking forward to the slow life of winter, when the neighborhood hunkers down and weathers the storm. Meet me back at March Musings 14 tomorrow to see photos of #StellaBlizzard and hopefully another poem.

This post is the 13th in the series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge.