thursday

tallie with a slight dusting of snow and a look that is full of sadness and a desire to be in the warmth

Strange day today. The snow was coming down lightly as I left the house but not lying on the ground, just wet.  On the radio they dropped in little nuggets of snow news; roads problematic, be careful.  My ears picked up a little about heavy snow in Glengormley.  I looked out the window to see Glengormley relatively snow free, just a little frosting.  But Glengormley always looks like this all year round in its arctic micro climate.  On the M2, still very little snow, I hear the radio mention the dangerous conditions in Belfast.  I was confused.  Until I got right into the middle of the city.  Snow.  The traffic began to slow at 8.00 am, just before it all ground to a halt.

we few begin the day and man the phones

In school I sat in the office as all staff manned the phones; “are you open?”, “I can’t get in”, ” I am stuck in traffic”.  We are open, we will be here.

I spent the morning roaming the playground and pitches as I got more and more soggy.  My shoes were holding back the water a little better than they used to as I had wax polished them only a few days prior.  Foresight?  Too bad I didn’t have the foresight to bring a hat to school.

The entire pupil population gathered in the hall for a very long assembly.  Normally they would not all fit but mysteriously not all were present.

Still I wandered the grounds herding them in.  “No playing in the snow!”  This is a harsh line to take but it ensured they would not get soaking wet and feel cold all day.  They pleaded with me but I reassured them, “School is not about having fun.  School is about learning, and today’s lesson is that life is not fair.”  A little voice in my head shaped like a snowman kept screaming; “let them play, throw snowballs.”  I kept it silent to the world and remained in teacher mode.  ***sigh***

returning to the snowless home the sun crawls away

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One last thing.  Apparently we should not worry about the lovely Sharon freezing tonight.  She has just returned from a run and tells me that she just got gritted.