Snow Advisory in Effect Until Noon Wednesday!

The snow scattered in the wind. The wind blew sideways for a short burst. The accumulation isn’t even a half inch on the highways, but it is everywhere else. Today, there’ll be slushy roadways especially in the country until the noon sun melts it. And most schools will be closed. I decided against going to the store due to the black ice.

Though they said the snowfall would start tapering off after midnight, it just kept snowing in from the west. Big snowflakes were falling for a while. But then, the snowflakes got smaller and smaller. And just like that, snow drizzled off, and stopped falling across the Cumberland Plateau. Don’t you hate it when the snow forecast is so accurate?

The Perfect Evening - Almost

The steam rose up from the tea kettle in a wail that pierced the rest of the house. I dashed in from the other side of the house to make the tea. Truth be told, I hadn't made a cup of tea the old-fashioned way in a long time. It's always a bottle or a gallon of green tea at the store, or I end up microwaving the tea. I made two cups peppermint tea, and delivered one to David, who was working on a project.

I was unusually bubbling over with excitement over the snow and decided to take my cup of peppermint tea outside to enjoy it in the snow. Flakes drifted by. I decided the deck behind the house would be better. After putting my tea on the glass table, I sat down. Just then, the straps of the hand-me-down lawn chairs broke. The cold had made the old white and green chairs brittle. Two straps had burst, with a third on the way. If I hadn't gotten up as fast as I did, I would have fallen into the chair. Well, guess what's getting added to the shopping list down the road?

After dusting the real snow off my magenta and green flannel, I sat down to enjoy my tea in my office. And this was real snow, not the powdery crap we got last dusting. Of course, here in Tennessee, even the powdery snow is cause for excitement. The flap on the tea box stated that archaeologists have found evidence that the ancients used peppermint tea as a healing herb. Who knew that peppermint could be so amazing with just a spoonful of sweetener. Today a sumptuous treat, tomorrow, the world.

The Power of Peppermint

Yes, today, I discovered the power of peppermint. I know you think I've lost my mind, but that's okay. It has the same effect of telling someone you believe in extraterrestrials. Needing an alternative drink other than a diet coke, I have turned to herbal teas. The tea of the day is peppermint tea, the perfect tea for the wintry weather we are having today.

Three days ago, physicians reported on Fox News radio that sodas, both coke and diet coke cause an increased risk for a heart attack. Last summer, a study was released that maybe there is a link between diet coke and heart attack and stroke. But this study was much more conclusive.