The Loooooong Winter

Remind me never to complain.  Especially about winter.  In my long 54 years I remember that winter started sometime around Thanksgiving and ended by dancing around Easter.  Last year winter almost missed us completely, but decided to storm on us ONCE the very day Hertsje was born, causing us to miss seeing her on the day of her birth due to a closed highway and a stern warning from the weatherman to STAY OFF THE ROADS!
This year winter has again held off until February.  But it's had a bit more of a bite to it than last year.
Today I'm sitting by my front window, watching it snow, and snow, and snow some more.  So far, it hasn't effected the driving conditions, as cars are sailing by like they normally do.
I'm presently reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's "The Long Winter".  Every time I read it I get something different from Wilder's description of it.  Some years I'll read it during the hottest most humid weeks of summer and will still feel chilled by the scenes of that blizzardy winter.  Of course, here in Michigan in isn't THAT cold, or THAT snowy, but still, reading this book makes me more truly thankful for heat, light, and food than anything else ever could.
Last night, this was the portion of the book that really had me thinking that even though everything changes, everything also stays the same...

"If only I had some grease I could fix some kind of a light," Ma considered.  "We didn't lack for light when I was a girl, before this newfangled kerosene was ever heard of."
"That's so, said Pa.  "These times are too progressive.  Everything has changed too fast.  Railroads and telegraph and kerosene and coal stoves - they're good things to have but the trouble is, folks get to depend on 'em."