By Mary Pannabecker Steiner
It seems like Mother Nature missed Christmas by just a few weeks. Thermometers are registering subzero temperatures and strong winds are producing dangerous wind chill of minus 40. But despite the fact that “the weather outside is frightful,” comments posted on Facebook suggested that few local residents minded staying inside.

WATCH A  BRIEF VIDEO OF WATER BEING TOSSED INTO THE AIR - AT BOTTOM OF STORY

Unfortunately, although most businesses were shuttered and local schools extended their Christmas breaks by a few days, some people still had to get to work. Snowy, icy roads slowed what little traffic there was, and one person reported that her husband’s usual 40-minute commute took one and one-half hours – not including his 10-minute walk from the parking lot.

We thought it would be fun to find out what residents were doing to keep busy. Many played games, watched movies, settled down with a good book, baked, cleaned the house, and tried to keep their children busy.

Taking a cue from Laura Ingalls Wilder, one reader from Ann Arbor, showed her children how to make maple candy by pouring maple syrup onto bowls filled with snow.

Still others ventured outside to fire up their snow blowers, photographers took advantage of the sunny day to capture photos of the snowy drifts, and two enterprising young children built a snow fort.

According to Todd Larson, Bluffton, his daughter, Maci, spent her snow day making rubber band bracelets.

Inveterate organizer JP Schumacher, Bluffton, announced that she needed a new project because the “house was cleaned, closets and drawers sorted, dog washed, played with the bunny, and spent two hours cleaning up junk on two computers.”

Bryan resident Edwina Phillips, a Bluffton University BCOMP and MBA graduate, sent a photo of her in a Bluffton sweatshirt and the report that she was “casually working from home.”

Connie Maroscher, a Bluffton resident, was “working a little from home and shoveling in small increments.” A photographer, she referred us to her Facebook page where she’d posted photos of snowy scenes around town.

Both Maroscher and the staff at Greg’s Pharmacy suggested an experiment to pass the time. Did you know that if you throw some hot water into the air, it’ll freeze before it hits the ground?

Dave Lindquist, pastor of Riley Creek Baptist Church, “played card games with our two ONU students still home on break.” Both Bluffton University and Ohio Northern University closed their campuses for a few days.

Bluffton resident Denise Fett played “Words with Friends” on her Kindle against her daughter, Laurie, who lives in Pennsylvania.

At Camp Friedenswald in Cassopolis, Mich., former Bluffton resident Beth R. Boehr itched to take her cross country skis out on the 12 or so inches of snow. Instead, she baked bread and granola bars.

Fortunately for Joanne Antibus, Bluffton, she was able to cross-country ski at Motter Park before the extreme cold hit. Monday, though, “was a little too cold – time for catching up on my reading.”

And yes, there were people working. Amazingly, the mail appeared, proving that the local mail carriers stick by their unofficial motto: “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

A quick answer to our question about how everyone kept busy inside, Beth Lamb, Bluffton, responded “Stuck inside????? I was at work!!” She wasn’t the only Bluffton resident working. Betsy Angus left early and saw a snow rainbow on the way home.

Everyone admitted the sun shining on the snow was beautiful. Some saw sun rainbows. Others, like Elisa Kleman, reported seeing a sundog. We’re still waiting for someone to explain that one.