Cabin Fever

Let me start out by confessing something: Anyone reading this that lives in any sort of warmer climate (I’ll take 32 degrees and above for 10 please) I envy you!

It is that time of season in the Great Winter Wonder Land that many of us start to get what we all lovingly refer to as Cabin Fever.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Cabin Fever as the following (I couldn’t have said it better myself):

Main Entry: cabin fever

Function: noun

Date: 1918

: Extreme irritability and restlessness from living in isolation or a confined indoor area for a prolonged time

Yep! I have extreme irritability and restlessness. Today’s high: 8. Tomorrow: not any warmer… Tonight negative something (once we get below zero it’s all the same!)

More or less we have 3 yes THREE more months of snow but the end of January beginning of February is the worst- its too COLD to snow- too COLD too think of being out doors. Kids have been cooped up too long and we are running out of ideas!

From our front window Sweet Pea looks out at the front yard at her “snow fort” and wants to know why she can’t go play. Oh yeah- let me tell you about the “fort” it is 2 rooms each with built in seating with a walk way off the sidewalk of the house it’s huge! Ok, My FF the realtor of the “fort” sold it a whole lot better.

Of course a 4 year old does not seem to understand when you say “I’m sorry honey, it’s too cold to go out side today” But Mommy I got my snow shoes and snow pants!

To walk outside takes your breath away- cold and crisp its hard to get it back.  Everyone walks around with there noses tucked into neck of there coats.  Everything is an icicle with about 3 inches of ice covering most parking lots.  As we near another weekend of too cold to do much of anything we sit indoors and wait. (Did I mention I was supposed to be in Charleston SC this weekend? I hear it’s warm there!).

Cabin Fever: No Matter how much you love the Great Winter Wonderland it gets to us all- cure? A trip somewhere warm and sunny!

Any ideas anyone??

Beep Beep Beep...

That would be the sound of a fire pager and it does not care what time it is, what is going on or what we are celebrating at that very moment. My entire family from extended to the kids know when it goes off My FF is gone no questions asked, his return undetermined. Could be an hour or several.

He is a member of the local Volunteer Fire Department and one of a small handful on the Rescue squad as well. These men are a close knit group, all cut from the same tough fireproof material. Every little boy dreams at one point or another of being a Fireman but only a small number are actually firemen at heart.

The one thing many people don’t realize when the one you love is a Volunteer Fire Fighter it is a life style for the entire family not just the Fire fighter. These men and women do this on top of everyday life. All work a fulltime job; have families and still life for the pager to go off. Plus training nights once a week, at our house that is Monday nights, every Monday night.

As a wife and mother I am both proud of him and completely freaked out each time that pager goes off. I try not to think about it- but I do. I worry about the things he sees on a rescue call that he won’t share with me- I pray the fire call is a false alarm.

The other night I went to bed early and My FF was bowling on the Wii. About 11pm I hear the front door close and the pickups cold engine come to life with a low groan- gone he was. I finally got Little Man back to sleep and was drifting in and out of sleep trying not to wonder when he was coming home. Sometime close to 3am I feel the bed shift with his weight a cold nose press against my shoulder. Something he does each time he crawls back into bed from a call. Maybe his way of letting me know he’s home with out waking me. But on this night I have to ask. Why so late? “Meth Fire” he responds. Instantly my mind is reeling- One night I am glad I didn’t hear the call come across the pager. The danger he was in- and I slept right through it.

Just another night in the life of a Volunteer Firefighter.

a REAL Blogger

Casey at http://www.everchanginglife.com/ brought up a great topic- one I’ll admit I’ve thought of more then once (and still trying to answer).

I can't say I feel like a "Real Blogger" just yet. Although I now have 5 dear followers that I truly cherish and roughly 200+ views on my new blog. I get giddy to see someone has left a comment and it’s nice to know someone enjoys reading what I have to say (or at least opens my page long enough for the counter to go up one more number!).

I remember My FF asking me if this was sort of "some dear diary thing" and I guess in a way it is that... and a whole lot more. The blogs I have come across and the women I have met though them are amazing women- independent and strong each in there own way- yet we have something that connects us together... our love of sharing our lives with one another.

The average blog lasts roughly 3 months- I am closing in on my first month with my new blog (only 2 more to go!) I am kidding! I hope to make it a whole lot longer. Maybe after I hit 3 months I’ll feel like a real blogger?


But seriously- what does a real blogger look like? Because I am typically laying on the loveseat in the lower level family room of my house, kids have gone to bed and my FF is playing the Wii. (Great picture huh?) I guess I kinda picture a “real blogger” sitting at least at the dinning room table if not a home office and a cup of coffee and ideas flowing!


GREAT news my FF fixed our wireless internet today so I am no longer “stuck” on the loveseat I can move around the house and blog from anywhere I please! But it’s still my favorite place to blog.