Forks and Maui

What do you do when the weather is alternating between rain, snow, sleet and hail? You go to Hawaii. At the first sight of precipitation, the littles donned beach gear and decorated their room with plenty of leis. The bedroom is cheery, but now the mudroom looks like a tropical storm hit a surf shop from all the foraging for swimwear. It's an improvement over the former look: like boots and gloves has spontaneously multiplied.

Meanwhile, Golda couldn't be bothered to get out of the car, so she sat in the driveway in the storm, reading Eclipse. She's thoroughly ensconced in a mythical world of vampires and werewolves, while the other kids are off on their Hawaiian vacation.

Hello, is there anybody still here in reality with me?! I can see why they wouldn't want to stay here. I feel exactly like I'm on a roller coaster. I'm never more miserable than when someone convinces me a roller coaster ride is fun. The whole time, I grit my teeth and will the ride to end, thinking about how there is a chance I may not survive. Spring is the same way. An inch of hyacinth poking out of the ugly, sodden ground is not cutting it for me. My teeth are clenched and I'm waiting for a glimmer of real sunlight. All I get is more sleet and The Thistle and Shamrock on NPR. If there's anything that inspires despair more than 30 degree weather, it's Celtic music.

I know I'm complaining, and that my blessings are more numerous than the snowfakes, but I'd still rather think of them as more numerous than the grains of sand on a sun-drenched beach. Maybe I'll go upstairs and see if the kids will take me on their Hawaiian vacation with them. I definitely don't want to go to Forks with Golda! It's too rainy.