The melting has begun. After 3 days of being homebound, I was ready for a short sojourn yesterday to observe the winter wonderland that had been produced by our Great February Ice and Snow Storm.

Peaceful and serene are the visual delights of snow covering the earth. Just the beautiful appearance of snow tends to calm the stresses of life. I think that there is a bit of a reason that we all hope for a White Christmas…as it is planted in our culture and in our brains as the physical manifestation of the beauty of the season.

White Christmas is somewhat of a rarity in Southern Illinois. Snow has become a special event in our region. I passed a father sledding with his children yesterday and the look of sheer joy on each of their faces…with the dad having the widest grin of all…was priceless!

Stress has surrounded us over the past 3 years with our Pandemic and economic turnaround and the new normal of our worldwide plague. The snow has brought our little corner of the world a moment of respite and reflection…and a time for planning for better days ahead.

Billy B. was experiencing a difficult choice as to what to buy his friend and perhaps his girlfriend for Valentines’ Day. Chet and he met after school to discuss the conundrum. Chet said, ‘Why don’t you get her a fancy Valentines’ Day card…you know…the kind that cost a dollar or more?’ Billy B. responded, ‘But what if she thinks that I am a bit silly…and she wonders when and where I started to think of she and I and more than just good friends?’ Chet noted that Jane accompanied them on all of their Halloween and Christmas adventures and that she laughed at all of Billy B.’s jokes. Billy said, ‘Yes she is a good friend…my best friend…along with you…Chet…but she is so much smarter than me…and she is pretty…while I am ugly…’

Jane walked up in the midst of Chet and Billy B.’s Valentine Planning. ‘Do you two handsome gentlemen want to accompany me to the Valentines’ Day School Party, Jane asked? Billy B. responded, ‘Oh yes we would love to!’ ‘What time and where is it being held,’ asked Chet? Valentines Day evening at 6:00 P:M:,’ Jane answered. ‘It will be especially fun with my fellow adventurers… and my two best friends,’ Jane exclaimed…

Billy B. asked Chet what should he do…and perhaps Chet should be the one to give her the fancy Valentines’ Day card. Chet said, ‘No, you should give Jane the Card and the Maltese puppy that I heard her speaking of…the other day.’ Billy B. said that he did not know if he had enough money saved for a Maltese Puppy. Chet replied, ‘They are $25 and I will give you $10 toward it…as a silent partner…’

Large red cut-out hearts were on the door to the gymnasium when Jane and Billy B. and Chet entered the Valentines’ Day party. In the corner was Buddy dancing with himself…and appearing to enjoy it. Daryl was dressed in a mini Tuxedo and came up to the group and took Jane’s hand and then kissed it…as she blushed…and Billy B. thought that ‘I am losing points with Jane!’ Chet had brought Mylo the Maltese in a small Dog Travel Bag…and he placed it in the cloakroom of their Home Room. Suddenly you could hear Mylo barking his little but mighty bark. Billy B. told Chet, ‘Go and get Mylo and I will give Jane the Fancy Valentines Day card just before you present her with her favorite pup…

The snow and ice have finally ended. Some areas of Carbondale received over 10 inches. Southern Illinois University has closed its doors for two and one-half days…which rarely happens. I read a Facebook posting from one of my friends that mentioned that a Snow Day was like any other day of retirement except for the snow…

As I have heard it said…We went and did it…Mylo The Maltese is coming to our home a week from today. We have been informed that he will probably be 5 pounds at full growth. Around Christmas I began talking about Siberian Huskies…and then Boston Terriers…and recent discussions have been transpiring regarding Toy Poodles…but Mylo won the contest…

So after 30 years of Boston Terriers…our house will have a new look…Mylo! We are excited about our new Furry Baby and Jonathon and Aaron are enthused to receive their new canine brother. A new Kennel and a new bed are in order for Mylo The Maltese. We took a year off upon the death of our last dog…Parker…but I detected that we were ready for an element of our lives that we have been actively engaged in for over 30 years. I like the idea that Mylo will be so small…if he pulls on his leash…no one will know…but him…

The snow is falling heavily and for a longer period of time than we Southern Illinoisians are accustomed to…at least for the last 20 years. It is 24 degrees with an 18 mile per hour wind. Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale has closed again, tomorrow, due to the inclement weather. We are used to quick winter events that blow in and in a couple of hours…blow out of Little Egypt. This Winter Storm is more like the winters of my youth. It seemed that everyone had snow boots or galoshes. Most automobile owners had snow chains in the trunks. Snow tires were also popular. There were not any snow blowers around but there were kids that would shovel your sidewalk for a quarter or fifty cents.

MJ and Jonathon and I have been looking at Toy Poodles and other tiny dogs online. That is the kind of trouble that snow days can get you involved in. The Toy Poodles are very nice…I thought that the one pictured was named Merle…but MJ corrected me that Merle is the color of the dog. They weigh well under 10 pounds and if they pull on the leash when you are walking them…how would your know… I believe that MJ would truly enjoy a little dog…

Cards have been the order of the day for every day since we returned from Miramar Beach, Florida…last month. I asked MJ if she was a bit surprised that I was so dedicated to playing the card game Golf…and she said that she was. I had not played cards prior to our return, for the entirety of my life…but determined to learn Golf when we were in Florida.

It seems to me that we 1960s kids wore much warmer winter garments than the kids of 2022. I had a fur-lined hat that had flaps that could be unbuttoned from the top of the cap and snapped under my chin to facilitate keeping my ears warm. There was also an abundance of earmuffs and mittens and neck scarfs and long underwear… When is the last time you heard anyone speak of long underwear? While today people seem to be impervious to the cold and the natural elements. It seems that wearing less winter clothing is a badge of honor illustrating a tough guy image…

The oil change for one of the Subarus had to be changed this morning. A Winter Storm is upon us…early. Freezing Rain is currently falling from the sky and it is my worse fear of Winter Weather. I mentioned to MJ this morning that we had great vehicles for…snow…but the vehicle has yet to be constructed that is great on…ice. Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale is closing at 2:00 P:M: and is closed tomorrow…Jonathon has just informed me. The Winter Storm promises to be significant as Winter Storms go…for Little Egypt. In days gone by I have witnessed severe winter storms in Southern Illinois…but not so much in this century.

An Omicron Variant has been discovered that is even more transmissible than Omicron in its current form. It is yet to be determined if it is more virulent. Covid has changed the world and given us a new normal…and it is not done…

Card playing is the order of the day. MJ beats me almost every game…and she enjoys it… Winter is a good season for reflection…especially when a Winter Storm has you place-bound. I have an autographed photo signed by Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow of one of my favorite childhood shows…Leave It To Beaver. I have just ordered a photo of the Beaver and Wally and the actors Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley as the mom and dad of the family. Etsy is a marvelous pastime.

Winter Storms are terrible when you have to drive to work. I recall, vividly, when Steve and I were on our way to clean Ziegler Coal Company Corporate Headquarters in Johnston City and got stuck in a ditch. Steve pushed us out of the ditch and we both hung our heads out of the windows in the attempt to see where we were going in a White Out…

Blizzard is a useful word to describe our present distress. Now well into the third year of our Pandemic and political turmoil such as I have not witnessed in my 64 years. The combination of empty store shelves and vacant job positions across our nation…we find ourselves between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. It becomes difficult to see our path forward when we have been blinded by the metaphorical snow of the cacophony of diverse voices…all talking at once…

I have worked with the leadership of men and women…and I much prefer…women. Throughout our history women have been marginalized and pigeon-holed…when they had the answer to the problems that the white men of the day ceaselessly debated without ever coming to a conclusion… One of the biggest failures is recognizing women in ecclesiastical leadership. Women are often more compassionate and better listeners than we men. Women look for common-sense solutions that include all stakeholders and that do not seclude others. Women are not ‘spoiling for a fight…for the sake of fighting.’ Dr. Jo Ann Argersinger was one of the strongest leaders that I have had the opportunity to work with at SIUC. We all felt included in her mission and that we were vital members of her team!

My Geese are back. At first, I thought that most of them had left with the ice…but I found them down the bank hidden by the trees. Many…when they are resting…seem to stand on one leg. When the word spread that I was taking photos of them again…they began to honk in unison… The ice shelves are receding as the temperatures rise well above freezing…although there is a winter storm forecast for this Wednesday and Thursday.

On occasion, I receive comments from others that seem to not understand my meager views on the church in the United States. Indeed I heartily agree with the concept that each individual who seeks to follow the teaching of Christ…is the church. When I write about the ‘church’ I am writing about a group of assembled believers in the teachings of Christ and his bedrock doctrine of reaching out to all humanity. The recognized religious sects of Jesus day were exclusionary…he was not. When Jesus encountered the group of religious people of his day who were prepared to stone the woman who was caught in adultery…he wrote in the sand…and the accusers with stones in their hands…departed and Christ asked the accused. ‘Where are your accusers…’ and she answered that she had none…he responded that neither did he accuse her and to go and sin no more. Christ was accused of being a ‘Friend of Publicans and sinners.’ He sought the disenfranchised and those cast off by society…for his followers. Jesus did not have a ‘Laundry List’ of requirements to follow his ministry…he said, ‘Love one another, as I have loved you, that ye love one another.’

Lists of requirements to become a Christian have kept hurting humanity out of our gathering of believers that we call a Church. The acceptance that a few ecclesiastical men have the answer as to who is admitted to the Kingdom of Heaven is Heresy. Many Fundamentalists choose to follow the ‘John Wayne’ definition of Christianity. Basically tough and ready to fight any and all that do not fit their macho definition of Jesus. But…the woman accused of adultery…met the Christ of Love for his fellow human family.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. KJV. Jesus offers his exclusionary vision of following him and his message of love and forgiveness… to all of humanity…

What did Christ write in the sand…

The Geese have moved to an even farther away bank at Campus Lake. When I pulled up this morning for my daily check on my favorite gaggle…I noticed three people that were attempting to fish off of the walkway just where the geese had been staying. As I suspected…the misguided fishers…frightened them away. I have been photographing them for well over a week, each day wondering if this will be the day that they have moved on.

The church is always inspirational to me… but especially this morning. Today we had our annual Congregational Meeting to elect elders and deacons for the upcoming terms of office. We Presbyterians have an elected representational form of government that is very similar to the United States elected political representation. First Presbyterian’s shared leadership of the local church is one of the most fascinating parts of our denomination. The idea of shared leadership elected from the congregation rather than having church government by one person’s decree…is safety and a blessing. It has been my humble honor and a distinct privilege to be a member of our Session on two occasions. More dedicated people…I have never found…

Pastor Kerry noted in his great sermon this morning that the church has become increasingly marginalized and pushed to the periphery of society. I have watched this phenomenon over the past 53 years that I have been a Christian. If you are a student of Jesus’ earthly ministry you will no doubt note that he worked from the periphery of his society…as well. The religious leaders of his day…the Pharisees and the Sadducees…did not accept him…’David himself calleth him Lord, and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.’ Mark 12:37

Presbyterians are the hardest-working Christians that I have known. They stand for freedom of thought and helping the helpless. Acceptance of the disposed and the marginalized and the forgotten of society…is a proactive change in our world of Tribalism and Elitism and Exclusion of those who are different than the accepted norm.

Many churches require uniformity of purpose and action and political belief. They teach that their leaders have cornered the market on God’s will for the congregation. It is heartening and inspirational to be included in a vision of Christianity that relies on each believer hearing from God and following him according to what their heart and intellect reveal to them.

January is almost over and we have been to Miramar Beach to spend time with our family…and we have had the unwelcome visit of Omicron. Christmas was a little over a month ago. During the first month of 2022…I have learned how to play the card game…Golf. I have even, won, one two or three games. Cards are a new thing…and I welcome new things and experiences. I read a posting of a local Doctor in our area who estimated that Omicron has infected 20 – 25% of the people in our County. He went on to tell us that 45 of our fellow Jackson County residents have died of Covid since the first of the year. Whether we like it or not and whether we accept it or not…we are in a new world and we have entered our third year in this new world.

My geese are still on Campus Lake. I think that I am a bit like the character Tony Soprano in the stellar HBO television show…The Sopranos…in comparison to the ducks that were swimming in his swimming pool in the first episode of the series. My geese seem perfectly content and at peace with the blowing snow and the frigid temperatures. They honk with gusto at their neighbors…the ducks…and the ducks answer back with a hearty…quack… It has been said on numerous occasions that Omicron is less virulent than the other Covid Variants…45 persons have died of it in Jackson County.

A New World means a new way of interacting in our social milieu. When you contract Omicron…bells do not ring…drums do not peel their tympanic beat…warning signs do not flash Warning…Warning…Warning… You simply get sick with what appears to be a cold…and then perhaps the flu…and then a visit to the Emergency Room…and then a hospital bed in the Intensive Care Unit…and the then Intubation…and then death…and the world never misses a beat accept for your loved ones who experience such tragic loss…

We can not fit the construct of our Old World…with the realities of our New World. Cautious reflection is the watchwords of the 2020s… No one is coming to wave a magic wand and make it all disappear. We must understand that our lives on Earth are a constant challenge and a constant blessing…and we can not have one without the other. I encountered an old gentleman this morning…probably my age…who extolled that, ‘They have been lying to us about Global Warming,’ as he smiled and walked to his car. I considered that his comments exemplify how difficult it is to first acknowledge and then accept change… If it is bitterly cold…one day…Global Warming must be a lie… If I do not become ill with Omicron when I spend a night out eating and drinking one day…I surely will not contract the illness the next day… If not wearing a face mask has served me well for the first two years of our Pandemic…it will certainly see me through the remaining Covid Time…

We are all going to experience the Grim Reaper…whether we are Republicans or Democrats or Independents. If we believe the primary Christian Doctrine of life after death…do we think that this will not be a major change in our existence and perception of reality?