WOW — thanks to the therapeutic value of writing a tell-all post about how miserable I have been feeling lately, and thanks especially to the wonderful, kind, and compassionate comments I’ve received since yesterday, I had a much better day today.

Thank you, ALL!!

However, although I don’t feel half as “crazy” now as I did on Friday morning, the weather here in east central New Mexico has gone completely insane!

Yesterday, our high temperature was 69 degrees Fahrenheit. Not quite the 71 that had been forecast, but very close.

In addition to Friday’s unseasonably warm temperature, we had an afternoon wind storm with gusts up to 75 miles per hour. At one point, I went outside to check on how our new metal roof was holding up, and I almost got blown over backwards!

But today’s weather has been even crazier than yesterday’s. This morning, we started out with temperatures in the low 50s. Then by late morning, our warm wind, which had been blowing from the southwest, suddenly turned and started blowing from the northeast, bringing snow and an arctic cold front along with it. Within an hour, our outdoor thermometer reading plunged from 50 degrees to just 13! In less than 24 hours, our outdoor temperature had gone from short sleeve summer-like weather, to a day at the North Pole.

Now, as I am writing this, our outdoor temperature reading is 4 degrees, with a wind chill of -15. Brrrrr!

When I moved to New Mexico in 2003, I thought I was moving to a place that is always sunny and warm. We do get plenty of triple digit temperatures in the summer. But what surprises a lot of people — including me — is that we also get single digit temperatures in the winter.

Last December, the day after Christmas, 2015, we had a blizzard here that was worse than any snow storm I have ever seen, including the five years I lived along the coast of Maine. The Goliath winds reached hurricane force and blew for two days and two nights straight. A freight train was blown off the tracks just four miles outside of town. Three big grain silos were blown down a quarter of a mile from our house. We had no electricity for 21 hours. Tall trees blew down, and roofs all over town were destroyed, including ours.

When the blizzard finally stopped, we had snow drifts over 10′ high outside our house. The roads were impassable for days. Even a homeland security snow cat broke down, trying to reach stranded motorists.

More than 30,000 cattle were killed in this area, and several people lost their lives. I pray we never have a blizzard like that again.

I don’t like it when the wind blows like a hurricane here on the high plains, and I especially don’t like it when the temperatures go down so close to zero. But I am very grateful for our snug little house and our central heat. Most of all, I am deeply, intensely grateful for the love of the Lord and for my precious family and my caring friends. You warm my heart!

Thank you for stopping by. God bless, keep warm, and Merry Christmas!

UPDATE ADDED Sunday, December 18, 7:30 am: Our outdoor thermometer says last night’s low was 0, current temp is 1. Roads are icy, hubby was awake all night — his PTSD often causes that — and I woke up with a headache, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands. So, we won’t be going to church. 😦

But I’m still feeling Ok emotionally, and very grateful for my loving little family, my wonderful online friends, and our snug warm house (except we really need to insulate the crawl space, the floors are COLD right now). I am also super grateful for the two sweet dogs we rescued off the streets, a little peaches and cream poodle boy named Scrappy and a beautiful golden lab boxer mystery mix named Baby. They are both wearing sweaters and cuddled up with me now as I am writing this.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for all these blessings and so many more… like my yummy Earl Grey decaf tea with raw honey!