Surviving the bomb cyclone – and each other

Before I retired from teaching school, I prayed for snow. I was delirious with joy at being trapped inside – reading, baking and napping. When the bomb cyclone sealed the two of us retirees inside our home, at first we were cozy and grateful. Who cared if the roads were a mess; we didn't have to go to work.

My husband began to work a 1,000-piece puzzle at the dining room table, while I delved into Dan Brown's latest book, "Origin." Yet soon we got grumpy because our slippers weren't warm enough, the snowplow was stuck in the snow outside our window, and we were tired of leftover vegetable soup.

I suggested we play Scrabble like we used to do when we were first married. Our moods lifted as we opened up the deluxe boxed set with its own turntable. As we drew seven small brown tiles, our moods elevated!

Before long, we were laughing. OK, I was laughing because I was winning, and it didn't matter if the wind was howling because I couldn't recall the last time I had beaten him at this game.

"You never beat me at this game," he was thinking. I knew he was thinking this because I quit playing with Mr. Crossword Puzzle in 1979 after only six months of marriage because I never won. Ever. I got tired of losing, and so I buried the game in the hall closet.

Now for the past several years, I have been playing Words with Friends and have memorized all of the two-letter words and many three-letter words. I was applying my newfound skills with aplomb. In fact, I was so composed that I was giggling.

As I drew my last tile, my husband noticed that I played a blank. "There is only supposed to be two blanks. How can you play a third one?"

"Well, that's funny," I said.

So he turned over one of the blank tiles that I had played an hour ago and there was the letter E on the other side.

Curses! Did I? How could I? "I'm so sorry. Let's play again."

"No, let's just finish this one," he said.

You won, he insisted, but of course I didn't. This was a hollow victory, just like the hope that the snow would melt on the driveway or that I could dine on lobster roll at Fish On.

Since we were snowed in the next day and I was determined to salvage my reputation, he accepted the challenge of a second game.

Dear friends...dear, dear Words with Friends friends, all of that practice did pay off! I won the second time. Only it was the first time. It was like winning my own Powerball because I had the power! For once, this woman beat the man who always wins. 2018 could be my year! The snow couldn't bury my dreams.

Never give up on your goals.