What a busy day I have had. My daughter had to be at work by 8 AM. That meant I had to get up early, no sleeping in for me. Seems like it has been weeks, since I last got to sleep in. Got back home to start my day with still writing Christmas cards. Writing notes to relatives and friends about how the year has been. Also, wrapping some presents to be mailed.

As I was driving to the post office, it started to snow lightly. After I was in the post office for a few minutes and 3 other customers came in behind me, one commented about the snow coming down outside. I turned to look and it appeared to be coming down like a blizzard. I drove home very carefully. I checked my blood sugar before eating my lunch. I was pleasantly surprised that it was 112 after skipping breakfast. I know I shouldn’t skip but I got busy and forgot, because I was not hungry.

After about two hours, it started to rain. I was unaware of it turning into slushy ice. When my daughter called me to come get her from work, that is when I discovered the slushy ice on my sidewalks. I had to use my snow shovel to remove the slushy part a little at a time, then add Ice Melt to the surface. I took my time doing this as I am afraid of breaking my leg again or the other one. Falling on ice is no fun. When the surface is slick and you have nothing to grab onto, it makes it very difficult to stand. You can only slide your body on the ice till you can get something to grab onto if it is not covered in ice. I asked my postman what he put on his boots to keep from falling. He told me about Stabilicers. They have a flexible sole with cleats to grip the ice and snow. I am ordering myself a pair.

I did drive very carefully to pick up my daughter from work. I passed several fender benders on the way. People who live in the North should know by now to slow down in these icy conditions when driving. People following too close seemed to be the main reason for these accidents I saw.

My youngest daughter is working on getting her permanent driver’s license. She has been driving for near a year on her learner’s permit license. Due to her Bi-Polar, she also experiences panic attacks. She has been seeing a psychiatric doctor for medications. We have been working on getting her medication levels balanced for her. When she is ready, she will get her driver’s license. I talked to her today about being a responsible driver during the icy driving conditions. She told me she was glad I was driving today as she was not sure she could drive in these conditions yet. A friend of hers called this evening to tell her of his accident and going off the road and hitting a tree. The boy was okay, but his car isn’t.

Parents do have a responsibility in being an example to their children. Teaching them the correct way to drive and act accordingly even in unsafe driving conditions.