Thoughts on the Great Blizzard of '78 and the Winter of 2015

My mother and my Cat Esmeralda Blizzard of 78

My Dad with his shovel Blizzard of 78

In 1978, I had just returned back in Massachusetts from California. I had a fabulous 2 years in Garberville which is located in Northern California. There were two type of people in Garberville: lumber jacks and hippies. These two groups did not get along. I lived in many different homes in Garberville.  I lived in a two story trailer, a gorgeous modern home with picture windows overlooking a stream, a tent in a camp ground by the Wild El River, and alone with my cat in a small rustic camper on 40 acres of land. The majority of homes had not electricity. Life was very simple. Some family members said that I left California because of the lack of electricity. The true reason was that all my married women friends had more dates than I had.

I spent my first two months back east in Vermont studying weaver with master weaver and Scottish folk singer, Norman Kennedy. It was a quiet and very productive time. I carded sheep's wool, spun yarn, dyed yarn, and wove two blankets. My only regret of being in Vermont was that I missed the Great Blizzard of '78. Vermont got some snow from the storm but, Vermont never shuts down.

I heard everyone's stories from the Great Blizzard of '78 and felt left out. I like stories and this was a major New England event which I  sadly missed. Even my cat had the blizzard experience. My folks had baby sat for her while I was in Vermont.

So we move up to the great storms & blizzards of this year 2015. I now have stories to tell my grandchildren if I ever had children. The winds, the snow, the ice dams, and the grey white skies.
Blizzards are not fun. For the last 37 years, I felt I missed out.  But now I have lived through historic snow storms in January & February and I sincerely think that great blizzards are highly over rated. Believe me when I say, the next time that I hear that we will be getting record snow; I will be on a plane and find myself on a nice sandy beach in Virgin Gorda. Please just forward my mail.