Snow Day

When it comes to weather, my mom swears by the Farmers’ Almanac. However, I don’t think even her trusty almanac could’ve predicted this.

The Missouri River is flooding. The Red River is flooding. Every creek, stream, and tributary tied to these rivers is flooding. This means that basically the whole state is underwater. But just to make the day extra-memorable, let’s throw in a blizzard for added effect. So today, the fourth day of spring, my fellow Bismarckians are getting out the hip waders and the snow shovels, evacuating their flooding river-front homes in the middle of a blizzard.

This is truly a Kodak moment. You can see plenty of those photos here.

Part of me is sympathetic, as no one likes to see their neighbors in trouble. However, another part of me says, “Hey, you live next to a river, what did you expect?” You take a lot of snow melting quickly, add an ice jamb downstream, and suddenly we’re in a panic, bemoaning the loss of basement carpets and foosball tables.

For me, moments like this simply put things in better perspective. Houses, cars, basement home theater systems = not so important. Family, friends, love = much more important. I’m struck by the idea of 10,000 people filling sandbags in Fargo right now – that’s love for your community.

This really doesn’t have anything to do with cooking…or does it? I see food as essentially tied to everything we do, everything we are. It provides comfort in hard times, celebration in good times, and sustenance in all the times in-between.

So today of all days, allow me to make a suggestion:

1. Think of your neighbor. Any neighbor. The first neighbor that popped into your mind.
2. Cook up something warm.
3. Go next door with your freshly-made kitchen creation.
4. Knock.
5. Smile.
6. Share.

We need more of that.