Winter Musings

Top ten reasons I find winter “challenging”:
10. All the melting snow on the floor (at least we have tile!) when kids come in from sledding..

9. The dirty, slushy edges of the old snow is ugly.

8. All that dirty gray road muck sprayed on the sides of the car (don’t brush against it or you'll get your coat dirty!)

7. The dripping salty/water off the car flows across the garage floor, until it meets the cold air at the door. Then an ice dam forms, keeping all the rest of the road muck from flowing out.

6. Fresh produce can’t be left in the car—it has to be the last errand.

5. All that gear! Hat (or ear muffs), mittens or gloves, boots, heavy coat, scarf. More or less, each and every time you step outside.

4. All that wet, gray, road muck on the garage floor--we do try to kick off the extra snow from behind the tires out by the street, but there is always more.

3. The sidewalks are slippery and treacherous.

2. The static electrical kisses Elizabeth gives me when I give her a ride to school on cold mornings. She leans over the seat and kisses me goodbye on the cheek, and OUCH! A bit spark hits us both!

And the number 1 reason?
1. Cold hurts! Whether it is Alice’s red, chapped hands that itch and burn, or Kevin’s waxy white fingers in which the circulation has totally shut off (Reynaud’s Syndrome), or just the sting of an icy wind--cold hurts! Kevin’s condition began 2 years ago, and it is so unnerving to see his fingers like that—like the hands of someone lying in a casket! It has happened only three or four times this winter, but he takes a lot of precautions to keep it from happening. It makes me wonder about retiring to Idaho and its winters.

Some Reasons I like winter:
1. That fresh blanket of white, especially on evergreen trees.

2. The sparkling stars in the clear air

3. The crisp crunch of snow when it is really cold

4. The soft pinkish glow on an overcast winter’s evening

5. Playing in the snow (with proper gear of course)—snow angels, snow forts, sledding, etc. And falling doesn’t hurt so much with all that gear on.

6. Extra milk or things that won’t fit in the refrigerator (baked turkey!) can be left in the garage—it's like a 2nd, huge refrigerator!

7. Long winter evenings seem to beg for a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

8. The family is more in a cocoon—fewer outside activities to tear us away from home.

(special thanks to Kevin who was the model used in these pictures. Of course, he was actually shoveling the snow. And it was a Sunday morning. The other ward (with the morning schedule) cancelled their meetings.)