Something to be said for Shoveling

It has spent the past 36 hours snowing here. A low stalled just east of New Jersey and we ended up with somewhere between twelve and twenty inches of snow. It is impossible to measure because of the drifting. My husband shoveled twice yesterday. I went and shoveled with him this morning because there was a lot of snow out there. The morning was peaceful. Birds were chirping. Wind-chimes were adding their melodies. Snow was coming down. All in all, it was a beautiful morning to be out.

A neighbor walked by and offered his snow-blower. It was a tempting offer. We don't have a large driveway, but it appears to double in size when there is so much snow on it. But the neighbor still had to finish his driveway before we could use it, so my husband graciously declined and we kept shoveling. At first, I was a little disappointed. But my husband pointed out the benefits of shoveling and then I understood. Once you start to use a snow-blower, you need to continue. There is a certain noise and odor to a snow-blower. But by shoveling, we were able to stop periodically and enjoy the scenery. We could still enjoy the sounds of nature. We were able to work together and we enjoyed a good workout as we tackled the driveway.

Perhaps as we get older, our shovels will give way to the snow-blower. But, today, although I am sore from a morning of shoveling, I am grateful for the opportunity.