As you may know, here in Boston we have been deluged with snow in the past few days. Thursday brought a snowstorm with the worst possible timing – right in the middle of the day. Everyone in the city left work at the same moment and the entire metro area was in gridlock for many many hours.
I left the house on Thursday at 1:00 pm with Stella to pick Roxanne up at school. It took us an hour to get there and by 5:30 pm we were still not near home. And then my car died.
I cannot tell you how scary it was to have two little babies in the back seat, with cars sliding all around us and the snow piling up (already 10" by then), and have the car totally stop. I couldn’t get the key out of the ignition and I couldn’t even get the window up.
I called 911 and they wouldn’t come get us. Both kids were crying. The reserve of crackers and raisins I keep in my car were already eaten.
I took both girls out of their car seats and told them, "This is an emergency. The car is broken. But we’re in Newton and that is a pretty good place to get stuck, and you’re with mommy, and I’m a good person to be stuck with." I bundled them up in every warm thing in the car, took my wallet and took them outside.
We walked down and across the street to Lower Falls Wine Company, where the lights were on. I cannot tell you how happy I was when the door knob turned and their door opened. The staff there could not have been nicer. They gave the kids cookies and water and we used their bathroom (it had been nearly six hours since I’d been to the bathroom – I had pulled over at one point along the way for Roxanne to pee in the snow).
And we waited for Charlie, who was totally stuck in gridlock on the way home from work, to come and rescue us. It took about two hours for him to get there and at that point it was well past the kids’ bedtimes. After transferring a car seat into his car, we rebundled everyone and finally made our way home.
And even though I knew that we were in an urban area and were sure to be rescued by someone at some point, I could not help but think about the Kim’s and how utterly terrifying and tragic their experience was. I felt so fortunate that we broke down where we did, near people who were so nice to us and so willing to help. And that we did make it home safe and sound.
And now it is snowing again. And we are inside today, where it is cozy and warm.
In more uplifting crafting news, I’m working on some small birds for two upcoming shows. What would I do without David Allen Sibley? I really liked the wing wings on the lark bunting
and was inspired to try my own version.
Here is a detail of the wing
and another view of the finished bird.
I like these little guys. They are so satisfying to make and I think they’d look awesome just perched on your bookshelf, or next to your computer.
If it is snowy and cold where you are today, I hope you and your family are home, safe and warm.
erin says
wow abby, that would be so stressful! thank god you weren’t in the middle of no where!
have you ever thought about doing a red winged black bird? whenever i hear one it brings me back to my childood. i’m not sure if you have them back east though.
anyway, i’m very glad you were able to walk to help. stay in today!!
Shelagh says
I am so glad you and the girls, and Charlie, made it home safely. It must have been very scary – the weather and driving were awful. Today, it’s the wind.
Stay warm, and your lark bunting is splendid.
Maritza says
Yikes, what a terrifying ordeal! So happy to hear that you guys got through it safely. Today is the perfect day to stay in and have some hot cocoa.
The bird is gorgeous, by the way. I love what you are doing with the feathers lately. Very cool!
JennyC.No3 says
How scary! I’m so glad that you made it home, safe and sound. When it’s late at night or the weather is not 100%, I’m always terrified of getting stuck by myself somewhere with my daughter (she’ll be 10 months old at the end of the month).
I’m glad you got home safe!
Also, your newest creation is so pretty and realistic! It looks like you put in a bit of time to get it just right and your hard work paid off. Good going!
Corinne says
This one is very lovely, and realistic !
stephanie D says
Of all places to be Newton isnt that bad….it could have been a nasty part of Dorchester or Roxbury. YIKES! Glad you all made it home alright.
p.s.YOUR BIRDY IS FANTASTIC!
melissa@yummygoods says
oooh, that sounds awful. I love the way you spoke to your kids about it. Strong, sensitive, reassuring.
I’m on the Cape, but just bundled up at home all weekend.
Beautiful bird. I love your work.
Shula says
I remember a similar thing happening to me when my girl was a baby. Country road, miles from anywhere, no phone network, dead car not enough in the ditch and semi-trailers flying down the hil on a single lane road. I thought we were going to die.
Adrenalin producing.
Fiona says
That sounds frightening, Abby. So glad you are all ok.
(Love this bird, too!)
emily says
i have just stumbled across your blog – a lovely place it is!
so glad you made it to safety in the snow. scary, indeed.
a beautiful bird, amazing wings.
Mama Urchin says
I’m so glad you are all alright. You’ve reminded me to check the supplies in our car. The bird is just gorgeous, I love the tone of the gray.
salmonpoetry says
the same thing happened to me two years ago, this weekend in fact. i had my newly adopted 3 year old daughter and her Nepalese nanny in the car with me when we got caught in a surprise snowstorm. the car was skidding all over and we were getting further and further off course trying to take streets that looked clear but weren’t. i decided to abandon the car and just started trudging in the direction of home, with two wailing companions. i kept repeating to my daughter, this is an adventure! this is a adventure! when inside i was scared to death.
two years later, she regularly recounts our ‘adventure’ in the snow with glee, and her most traumatic memory of the event was that she lost her red mitten along the way.
all is well that ends well, glad you’re home, and stay warm.
love those birds, by the way- i’m a new reader and am fascinated with your skill. have you ever tried a hooded merganser? i saw some of those on our pond this morning and they are so elegant…
Eric Orchard says
Ah! It’s so beautiful. I love the slight turn. So bird like. I’m very glad you guys made out OK. Sounds really scary.
Eric Orchard says
Ah! It’s so beautiful. I love the slight turn. So bird like. I’m very glad you guys made out OK. Sounds really scary.
Carrie says
What a scary story, but it sounds like you kept your “cool” and took good care of the kids!
What is the bird made of?
kim says
how awful that you were stuck in that mess! I’m glad you made it out safe and sound!
Allison says
I am so glad you made it home safely! Thursday was a miserable day for anyone on the road, wasn’t it? I had to walk from Dana Farber to South Station because I couldn’t get an inbound bus or train. While it wasn’t fun I knew people trying to get home in a car had it much much worse; I’m glad you and your kids are ok! Also, I love your birds! I am a bird nerd and a crafter, so you put together the best of both worlds. I’m going to have to see them in person one of these days 🙂
shisomama says
i’m glad you’re all ok. it sounds like a scary experience. i’m glad i never had to suffer through anything like that in my years in new england. i think the kim tragedy has affected every one of us, and made us extra cautious and nervous. i don’t think we’ll ever look at a road trip or a car drive in the same way ever again.
Amanda says
I’ve been meaning to comment on this post for a long time now. I’m so glad that it worked out well for you, if a little long and tiring. I once broke down north of Boston, on I-93. I had my cat in the car with me, no cat carrier, just a cat and a leash. I remember how scary it was, and I just had a cat. I still think about the Kims and how horrible their ordeal was.
I hear you got more snow recently. Stay warm and safe!