Every once in a while someone will ask me if I miss the snow. And I usually pause to think about it. I don't miss the postponed meetings. I don't miss the canceled worship services. I don't miss the wet shoes and salt-rimed pant cuffs. And I certainly don't miss the constant shoveling. No, at one level, I don't miss snow a bit. Not one bit.

But that said, I do kind of miss sitting in a comfy recliner, covered by an afghan, listening to good music and reading a book while the flakes pile up out my window. A snow day occasionally provided an opportunity to simply slow down and enjoy life. And that's something I've never done very well. I tend to cram as much into the day as I possibly can, often running from one duty to the next. Snow days, while full of inconveniences, gave me an excuse that everybody understood to take a break from my busyness.

Now it could be argued that I could just as easily do that here on Sanibel. Just substitute the comfy recliner with a beach chair, turn the afghan into sunscreen, plug in my iPod, and open up a book and voila! All the ingredients for a snow day, Florida style. But somehow it's just not the same (as wonderful as it is!) Don't misunderstand--I'm not booking any flights to New England any time soon! And the pluses of living on this beautiful island far outweigh the pleasures of a snow day or two each year.

Not that there aren't reminders of the importance of changing pace here as well. My favorite such reminder comes in the form of the many road signs that dot Sanibel that read "Slow Down for Gopher Tortoises." Now if that isn't a double message I don't know what is! So maybe, instead of watching for storm clouds, I should be watching for turtles! Maybe that would work!

Do I miss the snow? No, not really. Just the snow days.

(Photo Credit: Elizabeth Danner--my New England based daughter!)