A party in the snow

This week I've been working on a dress for a party we'd been invited to. I had a pattern for a top which I altered into an empire-waisted minidress (it wasn't a complicated alteration, but it did take me about three days to complete). I didn't want a maternity dress that made me look like a tent, I wanted something more fitted that emphasized the fact that actually I am fairly slender, I just happen to have a soccer ball in my tummy. It has a sweetheart neckline, slightly puffed sleeves, and a fitted waist (well, empire waist and back). This picture doesn't really show the dress well, but at least the soccer ball shows.

I bought some new black leggings to go under it the day before the party, and I looked at new shoes, but didn't buy any. Turns out, it was a good thing, because the only pair of party shoes I own (and they are fabulous) and had decided to wear were too slippery, so I ended up wearing sensible shoes anyway: it began snowing early in the afternoon yesterday and by the time we left, there was nearly an inch of snow on the ground. I took about three steps on the driveway in my fabulous shoes and decided to go back in the house and change them.

The party was at a friend's house in town, and the roads were already quite snowy, but we made it there albeit slowly. I got complimented on my bump many times, which made me happy I took the time to make a fitted dress, although as the evening went on, I was the only one who was sober and when people started staggering, I started to slightly worry for my safety. I don't really drink anyway--maybe a small glass of wine with a meal once every several months, or something fruity on a night out (usually once a year), though I know people lose their shyness after a drink or two, and that can make an evening more fun. Still, the staggering is a bit too far, and when people get to that stage, they are still having fun, but it's not a social thing any more. They are too drunk to notice other people and are just enjoying their own buzz. And it's not really fun for any sober people, or even people who are still at the one/two drink stage.

So we left at about 12.30; Partner had had a few (he wasn't quite staggering), which was the plan anyway, because as I can't drink I get to be designated driver. At this point there was about two inches of snow on the side streets, and the main roads weren't much better. We drove the whole way home at no faster than 30mph. I was frustrated--and a bit scared--because normally when there's even a hint that it might frost (let alone snow) the local council sends out the trucks to salt the roads. Obviously someone failed here, because none of the roads we drove home on (most of them main roads) had been treated.

This morning I woke up at 10.30, and my first thought was, "wow I've really slept in," and my next thought was, "it's so sunny," and my third thought: "I'm so not taking the dog out--it'll be slushy and muddy and horrible." But then I looked out the window and saw:

And I decided going out would be fun after all. True, it was still pretty slippery, especially on the sidewalks, but out in the fields we took the paths we normally don't take in winter because they're too muddy. We didn't get a speck of mud on ourselves, and the less-traveled paths were beautiful: all last summer's flowerheads and every twig of every tree all had a little cap of snow still. We saw lots of bunny tracks (four prints close together, a big space, then four more prints), and a sign fallen over and partially obscured by snow that said: DA THI. I thought about it for a while and decided it was meant to say DARN THICK. Meaning the snow. Or possibly the sign.