You look outside: Ah, it is snowing! But look closer. Those are not snowflakes falling from the sky! What is it snowing at your house?
The rhythmic chopping of vegetables relaxed Jenn. She had always found food prep to be therapeutic, even if she was only cooking for two. She scanned the tiny granite island and smiled sadly at the small piles of peppers and onions she had set aside.
She thought of the heaping bowls her mother would have prepped for the big family dinner. “Enough food to feed an army,” she would joke, and then Jenn’s uncle Ted would make a comment the Army’s food to his sister’s cooking and implying maybe they should let the Army do the cooking. Laughter would fill the house as her mom would remind him he could go to the VA building instead if he preferred it so much.
Jenn chuckled at the mental picture of her uncle supplicating her mother with wine and wiped her hands on her apron to have a sip from her own glass. She glanced at the clock over the sink and wondered where her husband had got off to. It was going on 5 o’clock and he had run to the store for milk and butter more than half an hour ago.
She set her wine glass back on the counter and picked up her knife to continue her prep. After a few vigorous slices through a carrot, Jenn stopped and looked back out the window to the back yard. She blinked hard several times in an attempt to clear them because she could not believe what she was seeing.
Outside the late November sun was still shining down on her Arizona yard, but there was definitely something white and fluffy falling down. She knew Flagstaff could see snow, but it was almost unheard of down where she lived, outside of Phoenix. It also just didn’t snow from a clear blue sky.
Curious, she untied her apron and opened the sliding door to her back patio. There was Chris, standing with his arms over his head in exaltation, as little white flakes floated down from the roof and vanished on the grass. “What do you think?” he said.
Jenn looked up at the roof and discovered the source of the faux snowfall, a little machine that was still spitting out fluffy flakes. “I don’t understand,” she said.
“I know it’s been hard on you being so far from your family this year. I thought I’d bring a little of the east coast to you.” Chris beamed at her and Jenn melted.
She ran to his outstretched arms and kissed him. He laughed as he embraced her and turned his head up to try to catch some of the manufactured flakes on his tongue. “You’re such a dork,” Jenn grinned before he kissed her again. “Thank you.”
“Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart.”
Notes: Daw, so cute. I can’t take full credit for the idea on this one. Was doing some brainstorming with a coworker and trying to come up with something a bit on the lighter side. My mind went to “ash” first and nothing I came up with was pleasant. My friend suggested a romantic ditty with someone newly in a warmer climate missing the snow and this is what I came up with.
I wish the snow would go away so I could miss it. But nor’easter #4 is coming tomorrow so it’s looking like I’m having yet another snow day. Getting real tired of working 4 ten hour shifts every week. The flexibility is nice for when I want it, but 3 weeks in a row is starting to get old, fast.
Wednesday’s prompt: What have you been able to accomplish this year that you are really proud of?
Well we’re not quite a quarter of the way through the year yet, but this is the 42nd prompt I’ve written this year so I’m pretty stoked about that. I’ll come up with something a little more entertaining for tomorrow though. See you then!
Closet Full of Notebooks 