Shelter

Today was a good day to stay indoors. Yesterday I spoke of Thoreau's advice to walk in foul weather. While his prescription does ring true to me, I'm sure there were also days when even Thoreau elected to stay inside close to the hearth.

I was off work from my job in the bookstore today and I enjoyed it. I spent the day snug and warm, enjoying good coffee, listening to the 70s folk radio station on Pandora, and reading here and there in Walden. I also fixed old-fashioned beef stew for the family dinner using a recipe from The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook that Beth gave me for Christmas. The stew turned out fantastic, and seemed particularly appropriate on this cold, rainy, icy night.

The temperature has stayed right around the freezing mark all day long. Combined with a slow rain most of the day, this has made for a day of really rotten weather. Just after noon, the National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning that will be in effect until 8:00 tomorrow morning.

In the midst of the storm, we find ourselves thankful for food, shelter, heat, electric lights, and running water. Days like this are good in that they cause us to focus on essentials rather than the zillion details that normally capture our attention. Perhaps our lives would be better if we could remember these days when the weather is more accommodating.