Capital Weather Gang say it ain’t so, you seem to predict that we will get more snow! The only acceptable snow is Christmas snow. Immediately around the holidays it lends an air of festivity, gives Santa’s sled something to glide upon and provides a clean & pristine environment to foster those glad tidings. After that, it’s a total nuisance.
Snow needs to be moved so you can safely walk & drive. I can’t even imagine how I would feel if I actually had to move any of it (one of the few benefits of living in an all male household). Once you’re over the age of 10 the exuberance of sledding for 1 hour is outweighed by the work of having to pull off wet boots, socks, snow pants, jackets, scarves, mittens and hats then trudge with them down to the pegs on the wall above the woodstove so you can defrost them enough to be able to put them in the dryer. (Don’t think for a minute that my boys didn’t have to do this themselves as soon as they could safely negotiate the stairs with an armload of sopping outerwear.) They soon were able to do the cost/benefit analysis themselves which significantly decreased the in & out snow play sessions.
When I was a kid living in a walk up tenement in The Bronx we would strip off the soaking snowsuits when they were so caked that you could no longer move. Then we would drape them over the old metal steam radiators that were under the stairway. We would sit on the windowsill waiting for those and our boots to dry up a bit. We would do that 2 or 3 times a day before returning home to our apartments. Rest assured my mother never inquired what the hell I was doing out in the snow for 6 hours and why I wasn’t frozen to death.
Then when my 4 boys were young we’d have to pull them, 2 to a sled down the street to the school where the ‘good’ sledding hill was located. The 2 older boys would perform death defying snow aerobatics (is that even a word?) while Don & I took turns pushing down then dragging up the sled containing the 2 little ones. (My back now hurts just thinking about this.) The day would come to it’s inevitable end when we would have to traipse the gang to the urgent care to have one of the elders sutured, casted or splinted. Fun times. It’s bad when you walk into Kaiser Permanente and the triage nurse greets you by saying, “Who is it this time Mrs. Russo?”
Of course before we could even get there we would have to scrape the snow & ice off the car then dig it out of the snowbank the plow left it in while staunching the blood flow (or immobilizing the body part) prior to transport of said snow day victim.
The moment the temperature outside dips below 50 degrees I have permanently chapped lips & skin so dry it would make an onion cry . This persists until the temps return to at least 70 for a solid week. I’ve tried every lip balm, ointment, stick, gloss, etc. and now swear by Dr. Bronner’s organic peppermint lip balm which I buy by the case when I can find it. (Not an endorsement but hey, Dr. Bronner, throw me a bone whydoncha?) These problems are only compounded by using the woodstove for supplemental heat as my poor heat pump has been in overdrive for the past couple of weeks.
As an attempt to relieve some of the dryness I am constantly refreshing the filtered water tank on my German engineered industrial air purifier/humidifier which I infuse with an assortment of essential oil blends to help bolster my mood or increase my energy or ward off evil depending on the situation. Lavender for sleep, peppermint for energy, frankincense & myrrh when I need me some religion (honestly, Madame Curie did less chemistry than I do).
Who can ignore the infernal darkness that sets in at 4:30 p.m. every day making me ready for bed by 7:00 p.m.? All the candle lighting hygge bullshit aside, this messes with my mojo the most. My therapy for this is not a light box. It’s carbs. Lots of them. Coldness and darkness makes me seek warmth which I find in my oven while baking delicious and delectable goodies as my 6 lb weight gain will support. The most light I’m getting is the sparks of static electricity I create from wearing all this merino wool!
But it’s all going to be O.K. Spring is coming. Lent is here and my liver is rejoicing as I begin my 40 day alcohol fast. I decided to renew it this year since last year I didn’t even entertain the thought. Don & I are now fully vaccinated against the ‘Rona so now I am once again thinking of travel. I’m planning an extended beach vacation this summer and creating packing lists and on line browsing for cabana wear brings me joy. (It’s not the same as wine but will have to do.) I long for the days I can grill poolside in my bathing suit again. Who am I kidding? You all know I don’t go near the grill. Until we thaw, stay safe and warm. (Texas friends, you’re in my prayers.)
Follow