At noon it began...just a dusting. At one, just an hour later, I couldn't see the arena across the street (it happened that fast!) The blizzard just kept blizzarding and blizzarding.

My good friend who works at the hospital called and asked if she could stay at my house, since I live in town. The road to Badger was becoming treacherous! She is a dear family friend (Joe was her mentor.) She and my friend Milly were the first ones to come over and sit with me that next evening after Joe went to heaven.

My friend came around sixish, parking out in the street, and had to walk to my back porch through the deep snow. When she got into my house her thin grey suede shoes and socks were drenched! She took them off and set them on a couple of plantstands in front of my gas fireplace. She put on a pair of warm socks, which I supplied, and covered herself with a soft blanket to warm up. We spent a wonderful evening laughing and talking, eating snacks, and watching the ongoing blizzard cover Main Ave North with snow.

That next morning, I looked outside and was shocked and totally overwhelmed by the amount of snow, both in my back yard and the driveway. I didn't say anything, I just prayed, "I think I might need some help Lord!" There was so much snow and it had drifted. Getting to my garage would be a daunting task, plus there was the driveway and the front sidewalk. Was I snow bound? Would I be able to get to work?

My friend Mona had just gotten up. Her thin shoes and socks, still by the fireplace, were warm and dry. She put them on with a big smile. I then declared that I was going to make waffles. When I said this, she said, "I'm going to go outside and start shoveling!" Now remember all she had were these really thin grey suede shoes. I looked at her and said, "your shoes will get soaking wet again!" We checked to see if my white snowboots would fit her, asking her to try them on, they were to small.

I then remembered the boots in the basement. Joe's Marrell boots. He had gotten a new pair of boots because his old ones had completely worn out. They were in the basement sitting next to a chair I sit on every morning. I brought them upstairs, handed them to Mona, she tried them on and they fit like a glove. It was a no brainer. I then gave her Joe's boots. I knew it was the right and the very best thing I could do. And because of his place in her life, it seemed completely "fitting." (A sentimental pun) WOW!

I So then we ate our waffles...Mona shoveled and I was able to get to the garage..While she continued to shovel, (passing Joe's cabin behind our garage PLUS, the postman's path to Skime's, I took the snowblower out and cleared my driveway and sidewalk. She did a ton of shoveling. Plus she had to shovel her car out across the street!

Leaving for work...we hugged...she drove away. She didn't see my tears as I went into the house.

I then petted my kitty Bailey, grabbed my store bag, and drove to work.

Sooo thankful for Mona...God is soooo faithful and good.

"All I have needed thy hand hath provided, great is thy faithfulness oh Lord unto me.

Blessings, Julie