The Snow Monster

First: Sorry I've been absent for so long. I've just been feeling so quotidienne in my village that I wasn't really thinking anything was blog worthy. I was then informed that this is not true and I'd "better get writing!" So, here we go.
    Its always nice to open with a weather update (everyone feels like they can relate), so, let's start there. In my little corner of western France it doesn't usually snow... and "never this early in the year!" one of my fellow collegues informed me. This being said, it did snow. A whole two inches! Here is how the story goes. One overcast Thursday there was a prediction of snow. Someone from the office announced over the intercom that class would end an hour early because they were afraid it might snow before school was out. Just after that a representitive came to each class and reitterated the fact that school would close at the end of the next period (just incase we didn't hear it on the intercom). Just before the 4:30 bell the flakes started to fall. The students lost all concentration and looked longingly out of the windows. As the bell rang the students left the school excited to experience the white winter wonderland what awaited them. The tiny flakes continued to fall for about another hour and then the whole spectacle was over. The next day, there were about 1/10th of the students present for class. All of the school transport was cancled due to the "snow and ice" on the roads. I of course gauffed at this considering there is usually a least a foot of snow in Washington by this time. Never-the-less 15 teachers were absent (unable to get out of their driveways) and the school was a ghost town. Since then there have been three more days on which half of the school transport was cancled due to icy roads. Free days all around! I just imagine these students in Maine or Washington when there is a meter of snow... it always makes me laugh. Melissa and I have decided that the residents of this part of France treat the snow as if it were a beast or something of which to be very afraid. Now, anytime someone mentions the possibility of snow or how nervous they might be that it might snow we usually comment on it later with a comment about "la monstre de neige!"
    It was great to experience the first real snow with Melissa. She made her first snowball and snowman (very mini version) and commented on how snow is much different than she thought it would be. She always thought it would be heavy like ice and always marveled at the young children making giant snowmen taller than themselves in movies.

Melissa learning to make snowflakes.

Melissa's first snowman.

Winter Storm!!! Les Herbiers Under Atack of the Snow Monster!

    Up until this point I was doing very well on the not-being-homesick front. What changed? Oh, just the fact that people ask me at least three times per day if I get to go home for Christmas...and when I say "No, its too expensive." they look at me like I am a lost puppy or something which makes me feel like I should feel very upset. In all actuality, I'm excited to spend Christmas in Scotland with Arran and the friends I have there. It will be a new experience and great to see people I have missed. I am in no way saying that I would not like to be home for Noel but just that I feel Scotland is a fabulous altrenate. In one of my classes we were playing the game Would You Rather... (where everyone must decide between the two options and then say why they picked said option) and the exchange student from Columbia said she would rather be able to fly than be invisible so then she could fly home for Christmas. I told her she got a gold star for the day for best response.  One thing that has been making the homesickness ebb away is that letters, birthday and Christmas cards have been arriving like crazy this week. I love getting mail and the addition of a suprise birthday package from my family was the clentcher! Its always great to get a small peice of home (mine included candy canes, books, and quilted christmas decorations as the highlights).
    THE END...dun dun dun... just kidding, but I am out of internet time. To be continued...