In central North Carolina, we don’t often see the white stuff. In fact, we hadn’t had anything more than a dusting in the past year. We had three snowstorms in January 2022.

When the first snow prediction was announced, I made the usual plans – crockpot chili going, soup on the stove, meals prepped in case we lost power, firewood delivered and stacked. We had our boots, gloves, snow pants, and jackets ready for the chance of snow. Sleds and snowboards. Shovels. While we were ready, we were highly doubtful of any significant powder. I mean, it’d been years since we had anything major.

Imagine my surprise and delight! I woke, opened the drapes, and saw the big, fat, fluffy flakes swirling outside my bedroom window. I felt like I was standing inside a just-shaken snow globe. I grabbed my manuscript and fired up the coffee pot. I decided to work while watching the snowfall.

Our county announced school would be remote all week (not at first, of course). The schools were already closed for the MLK holiday and Tuesday was a teacher workday. This was perfect!

The second snow was a Friday-Saturday event. And the third was the same. We were still prepared and doubtful, but in both cases, snow was falling – and kept it coming. (Side note: as of Feb. 3, 2022, there is still snow in our yard).

The three snowfalls brought me exactly what I needed – stillness. It’s like time stands still when it snows. I was on a deadline to complete the first draft of the second book in the Spellmonger Secrets and Legacies Series. I had been struggling with time, between work commitments and normal life things.

Now, instead of running to school and work, we could stay home and work remotely. The timing was perfect, especially as the Omicron variant had continued to rise. The snow kept everyone home at a time when many of our vaccinated friends became ill. The first snow delivered us about 5 inches of snow with a glaze of ice. The second, 3. The third, 3.

To me, snow is magic. It has always delivered exactly what I needed when I needed it. In this case, it gave us a break. It gave me space to be still.