January Doldrums

It's that time of year. January. Snow. Gray Sky. And then came the freeze! What a freeze. For 2 days while the thermometer stayed below zero, Maggie and I holed up inside.


Then the snow melted. The weather warmed up. And it RAINED. I think the sun has gone south for the winter. It came out one day for about 10 minutes, but I missed it. I was in the basement packing up the Christmas decorations.


I'm supposed to be grateful for all things. Well...... let's see.... hmmm....how can I say this?
I'm not grateful for the below 0 temps, the -35 windchill, and the constant gray sky! Maggie has been asleep for a week. I keep checking her to make sure she is breathing. She gets up, walks in a circle around the kitchen island for 3 hours at night, since she can't get out for her walk.


The icy snow has been a challenge for her, too. Twice I've had to go out and pull her up the hill to the front door. The first time was during the height of the freeze when the wind and the cold were just too much for her. And the second time came when she squatted to pee. She slipped on the snow and sat down and couldn't get any footing to get up. She just sat and waited for me to walk down and help her up. She is a constant reminder that getting old isn't fun.


So how am I handling all this great weather? Well, yesterday, I finally gave in. I woke up in a bad mood, and as the day progressed I didn't get much better. Finally around mid-afternoon I grabbed my coat, and a leash. It was gray. It was wet. It was above 32! One out of 3 was an improvement. Best of all, the sidewalks were clear of snow and salt so Maggie and I went for a walk. We both felt better when we got home. She went back to sleep. I added a Vitamin D infusion.....a nice blend of Florida Sunshine and Russian grains and potatoes. When we lived in the south a Screwdriver was a nice end to the day. Here in the north it becomes a must-have when January and February set in.


Let me end this mid-winter rant on a more serious note.


We survived the Polar Vortex very well. Pipes didn't freeze. Power stayed on. Not everyone was so lucky. I had a fire in the fireplace, and an electric blanket on the bed. I holed up on the really cold days with hot chocolate and a jigsaw puzzle. How VERY blessed I am!


In Florida cold spells could mean nights in the 20's. That's bitter cold when you're used to the 50's or 60's. When I lived in Tampa and we went through cold spells I worried and prayed about the homeless that were living under bridges and huddled around fires in a barrel trying to stay warm. I snuggled into my warm waterbed. (OH, they are so much better than electric blankets. The mattress is warm when you crawl in! Wow!) And I gave thanks, and prayed for those without heat. Since then I've never taken for granted the blessing of a warm bed.




In Pennsylvania, I still think of the homeless but I know there are many "Warming Shelters" for those who are without heat. I am thankful that there are people who are looking out for those in need.


And when the winter doldrums set in, I'm grateful for a warm coat to wear on a brisk day. I felt so much better once I inhaled fresh air. And then I warmed up with that great OJ infusion. And for that I am also Very thankful!

Changes

Today I am holed up in my office. Music plays on the radio. Lamplight gives the room a cheery feel. A candle fragrances the air. Photos of family smile at me. It is a cozy place to hang when outside it is cold, gray, and snow flakes flutter to the ground.

I think this is a Landmark Year for me. It is the end of February. Tomorrow March begins. It is snowing outside, if only ineffectively. The temp outside is hovering at 32 and the snow mostly melts when it hits the ground. This is the best of both worlds. I see the loveliness of the snow, but there won't be any shoveling to do later. In February that is always good news, because by now, I've usually had my fill of shoveling.

So why is this a Landmark Year? Because even with the gray skies I am feeling very even-keeled about the weather. It hasn't always been so. In fact, I was a little afraid to say anything until I survived the month without losing my senses and collapsing into despair even if only for a moment. Winter tends to try my sense of optimism at least once. For proof, go back to 2010 and read this post. http://viewfromanemptynest-connie.blogspot.com/2010/02/some-days-view-is-just-plain-cloudy.html
But this year, so far, so good!

Change doesn't come easily to me. (I alluded to that in my last post!) After many years in a warm, sunny--let me repeat that--SUNNY climate I was surprised at how hard I found the initial impact of a northern winter. I had grown up in Pennsylvania, so I figured it wouldn't be that hard. I expected the lack of sun to be harder than the cold and it was, but even more than I was prepared for. After 5 years, I seemed to have turned the corner on that albatross.

There may be some simple reasons for this improved outlook. The first one is simply Time. I've had time to adjust.

I first noticed a change of attitude last Fall. As the leaves disappeared I didn't groan in anticipation of a long, cold winter. I was back to my childhood self of enjoying each season as it came. Fall, followed by the 'holiday season' of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, which leads into True Winter--That season that has few distractions, except, perhaps, Valentine's Day.

There was another aspect that may have helped my attitude. Larry travels extensively in the winter. The first few years we were here I told people if we had a snowstorm, Larry was in Minneapolis. Because he usually was! In fact I remember getting up one morning to see his tire tracks in the newly fallen snow in the driveway. It had snowed overnight, but he had left at 5AM for the airport...leaving me to clear the sidewalks, steps and driveway.

This year our first snow occured over Christmas...and he was here to clear it out! I liked that! Of course, he was gone every other time it snowed, but you win some, you lose some.

He was also around in January a little more than usual. So that means I wasn't alone perhaps as much. And best of all, we haven't been inundated with blizzards or heavy snowfalls.

Whatever the reasons, the truth is still good news. I made it through February without losing it. I know spring will get here someday, but I'm no longer silly enough to think the month of March has anything to do with that! If anything, March is one more month to get through cheerfully. And I'm pretty sure I can do that.

I'll just keep the lights on, the music playing and light another candle.