I didn’t enjoy the last big snowstorm, Maria was in India. I felt a bit vulnerable and exposed and spent two or three days shoveling, making my friends nervous. People say people with heart disease ought not to shovel snow, but my cardiologist says otherwise. He says shovel as much snow as you want as long as it doesn’t hurt or make me uncomfortable.

The downside of that advice is if you get to hurting or being uncomfortable, that is not good. I shovel all the time, including the morning, it feels good and healthy. But having Maria here for this blizzard is a good thing, there is much less shoveling and I feel a bit less exposed.

I think vulnerability comes with getting older. Open heart surgery probably helps also. My daughter texts me during storms to make sure I am alive. She didn’t use to do that. My electric company sends texts messages to me advising me to stay indoors if I am over 65. I message them back and tell them to mind their own business, I didn’t ask for their opinion, but they never seem to get the message.

Are the animals supposed to starve? Will a good fairy come and dig out the car or the mailbox? Who will shovel out the hey feeders? Or haul water to the animals?

My daughter has a good excuse, she lives in Brooklyn, snowstorms affect just about nothing there. I don’t know where the Electric Company lives, it’s probably in New Jersey somewhere.

Maria and I have good fun in blizzards. I do stock up on good things to eat and popcorn, we have good books and Netflix and a bed with an electric blanket, one of our prize possessions in the winter. I keep assuring her I can keep her warm up there, but too late, she is in the studio conjuring up some magic.