Winter is in the Eye of the Beholder

As I write this, we are experiencing “Snowmageddon” 2021. I am, in fact, trying to finish this and send to our designer before the rolling blackouts reach us. When all thisstarted, I was really worried about her,because she and her husband decided several months ago to live in an RV and work from the road while they see the country. How cool is that? Until we have “this” kind of cool,that is. But, being the uber intelligent people they are, they unplugged andare sitting in Florida while we are sitting here in the frozen tundra. That really IS cool!

Before Wes and I married, I worked for a marketing firm and traveled all over the United States working with newspapers. Those travels included seeing winters in Juneau, Alaska, Joliet, Illinois, Terre Haute, Indiana, and whiteout conditions in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The hotel where I stayed in Terre Haute belonged to Larry Bird (of Boston Celtics fame), and one of the wonderful things about staying there was the “gift” they gave their guests each morning when an employee went to the parking lot and brushed all the snow and ice off your car. I really loved that!

The hotel in Joliet was not so accommodating…and it snowed there a LOT. Joliet is about an hour southwest of Chicago,and it was cold…every…day. I remember so many people from those travels,and I still consider many friends. But all I remember about Joliet was the cold. That, and one particular event. After brushing the snow off my car that morningin order to get to the ice below and then scraping that until I could see, I walked into the newspaper and asked the staff if they knew there were other places they could live! They all looked so shocked! I began to explain to them what our winter was like. I explained how we only needed snow boots if we were going skiing in Colorado. I explained the joy of a jacket getting us through the winter instead of coats that would keep you warm in subzero temperatures.

It was to no avail. They started talkingof enjoying seasons…and snow…and all the fun they have in the snow. I told them we did too–for a day or two. Then they started getting really personal and saying ugly things about our summer. I told them we would just have to agree to disagree.As beautiful as the view is out my window, I know stepping outside could mean falling on ice. (I think I’ve already shared with you I am pro at that!) I would like to try a new recipe, but I forgot some of the ingredients at the store,and the roads are too treacherous to drive. Of course, if we lose power, the only cooking will be on the grill anyway–across the icy deck. Pray for Wes. And maybe we should start thinking about RV shopping.

Until next time,