Snow days

It's snowing...again. This brings up several issues for me.

I love the snow, but as a small (very small!) business owner, I must admit that the snow seems to be dragging us down a bit. The accumulated snow days over the last month made the difference between paying the rent, and not paying the rent this month.

In the past, people in the northeast were acclimated to "bad" weather and went on with their lives as usual. Now it seems as if the media hypes all everything up to such a frenzy that even these 2 inches of snow that we're getting, which is not expected to stick, is causing early dismissal from schools and businesses are closing early, too. I mean, come on people! This is not Austin or Seattle where we are not prepared. The majority of people around here drive SUVs with 4-wheel drive, but their fear levels seem to have tripled from the days when most people drove smaller cars with 2-wheel drive, getting around quite well in the snow and ice. It boggles my mind, and I wonder if everyone in CT now is actually from New York City or Los Angeles??

These are the things my mother taught me, and her mother taught her, about weathering the winter in the Northeast:

• Remember to put snow tires on your car before the snow usually comes (Around here, that's in November).


• Wear layers (remember long underwear?) and lined, rugged-soled boots.


• Keep a blanket in your car in case you get stuck somewhere. (And a flashlight, and boots, and gloves, and a spare tire, yes, OK grandma)


• Don't overheat your home, wear a sweater!


• If a big storm is coming, especially one with ice, fill up the bathtub with water, or at least a few pots, so you can still flush your toilet, etc., when the power goes out.


• If the power does go out for more than a couple hours, and it's below freezing outside, let you faucets run at a slow drip/trickle, so your pipes don't freeze.


• If you have a short-haired dog, get the poor dear a jacket for those cold, wet days. And use animal friendly ice melter, or just plain sand, so their paws don't get burned.


• A thin layer of Vaseline or beeswax balm on the face will help children play outside a little longer without getting too chapped or windburned.


• Hot soup, tea, and oatmeal will warm you up in no time :)