“He makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth; He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses.”
— Psalm 135:7
Sitting on the porch this morning, I was enjoying a peaceful moment with a cup of coffee and an audiobook, my girl cat by my side. The calm didn’t last long, though, as winds and rain swept in unexpectedly. The temperature dropped almost instantly by five degrees, signaling that winter had decided to make its presence known.
My girl cat wasn’t having any of it. With a nudge and her unmistakable let’s go glance, she prompted me to head inside before the rain—now spilling past the edges of the porch—soaked us both. I didn’t argue, following her lead back into the cozy warmth of the house.
Now, we’re curled up on the sofa, her purring beside me as we check the radar to see what the day holds. Cold rain, ice, and snow seem to be on the horizon, promising—or threatening, depending on how you see it—weeks of true winter weather ahead.
For today, though, I’m content to stay here, savoring the warmth of home and the company of my furry companion. These simple moments remind me that even when the day’s plans shift, there’s comfort in embracing the unexpected.
“There is a privacy about winter which no other season gives you. Only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.”
— Ruth Stout
Ruth Stout (1884–1980) was an American gardener, writer, and educator, best known for her innovative approach to gardening known as “No-Dig Gardening.” She authored several books on the subject, including “The No-Work Garden” (1961), which became widely popular in the gardening community. Stout promoted organic gardening and developed a method that focused on mulching to avoid the labor-intensive process of tilling the soil.