JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: The Polar Vortex! It's astonishing I hadn't even heard of such a thing until a few years ago. Now it's like the Ice Monster in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, lumbering down at some point in almost every winter, spreading fear and dismay. Can no one pull its teeth? Where's Yukon Cornelius when you need him?In my part of Maine, we've been having pretty ordinary late-January weather - daytime highs in the teens or low twenties, nights in the single digits. But that looks like a heat wave compared to what you folks in the upper midwest have been seeing. It sounds from the news reports like that scene in THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW when the wind stops and everything snap-freezes to -70F. Run! Run away from the cold!
So what, other than barricading ourselves inside a library and burning books*, do we do to cope with the cold. What are your tricks for staying warm and cozy, both physically and emotionally?When I still had the girls living here with me, we'd get our hygge on, gathering together in the living room draped in sweaters, knit socks and woolly throws and reading in front of the fireplace. Plenty of candles are a necessary component to hygge, as are warm drinks. Now it's just me I've gotten rid of the bench in our kitchen (the catch-all for years of bookbags and sporting equipment) and replaced it with a delightfully comfy arm chair. My solo keeping cozy ritual is similar to the previous one - lots of wool, reading, and hot herbal tea - but the kitchen woodstove is much better at actually warming the room than the fireplace was Without another person to keep an eye on things, I skip the candles (I can just imagine the potential chaos if the cat jumps up on the table at the wrong moment) but the down-directed lights over the kitchen table (that's right - no island for me!) have a pleasantly warm and old-fashioned glow that translates to "cozy" in my head.
Reds, what are your tricks and techniques for making it through the cold? Jenn and Rhys, I know you see chilly evenings in Arizona this time of year. And Lucy, please tell us all how delightfully warm it is in Key West, so we can add that to the mental images keeping us sane!
LUCY BURDETTE: I'm afraid to say too much Julia, for fear I'll be blackballed at JRW, but...it was 60 degrees this morning and windy. I hauled out my down vest and wool socks, not kidding! We have no fireplace or woodstove, but while watching TV with John (say, Victoria, season 3) I cover up with a cozy blanket and try to entice T-bone to join me. Yesterday, he preferred the warmth of the copier...
HALLIE EPHRON: Have you noticed they've gotten into giving ordinary weather events outsized names? Thunder snow. Bomb cyclone. Arctic vortex. It's ridiculous. Though this coming deep freeze sounds formidable. We went down in the single digits last week but this sounds MUCH worse for our friends in the midwest. Snow in Alabama??I am terrified over the pipes freezing, so one thing we do is keep the under-sink cabinet doors open and put an old-fashioned lightbulb (on) down there and keep the tap dripping. A portable space heater for when I'm working in my office (too many windows). I drink hot water and wear layers (including long underwear - Cuddleduds are the best). Scarves around my neck. My daughter bought me slippers that you heat up in the microwave. And fingerless gloves. My exercise bike gets a workout in the winter since the thing I am NOT interested in doing is going outside.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I mostly keep warm by being happy that I don't have to be out covering the storm anymore. I also obsessively keep everything charged, since I am petrified of power outages. To keep warm? I am pitiful...camisole, t-shirt, thermal shirt, fleece top, sweatpants and short uggs, neck warmer. Then I drape a blanket over my whole self, tucking it in like a big towel. Pitiful. And yes, fingerless gloves. And there's a space heater by my desk. But our old house can be so cold--we have actual cold zones (we don't name them ;-)) that we just run through yelling cold zone, cold zone! We have a treadmill and a nordic track, which I love, but it is too cold to take off all my clothes and put on little workout clothes, so forget it. 
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Speaking to you in my long underwear, huddled over the space heater in the kitchen. It seems that those of us not living in sunny climes all have drafty old houses. Fortunately we are zoned, and our upstairs is quite toasty. But, downstairs, it's space heaters everywhere, layers of very unattractive clothing, wool socks, sherpa slippers, lots of hot tea. BUT that's just workaday keeping warm. For relaxing and enjoying the hygge, we build a roaring fire in the living room fireplace and I snuggle under my yummy faux fur throw, and am usually joined by a dog or a cat. I adore this. If I'm feeling really motivated I'll light a few candles, too. (I have one from Mer-Sea called Sea Pines that is the most heavenly winter scent ever.) The cozy times almost make the rest of the keeping-warm chore worthwhile.
JENN McKINLAY: Sorry, gals, but it's been lovely in Arizona. Yes, it drops into the forties or fifties at night but that means we sleep with the windows open, which I love, love, love! This is my favorite jeans and thermal shirt, work in the yard, go for long nature walks season. Sadly, I'm on deadline so I'm not getting to do as much of that as that as I'd like. On the nights it drops into the thirties, I snuggle under the fleecy throw with King George in my lap and Otto on one side and Annie on the other. Bliss.
RHYS BOWEN: And I'm a few miles from Jenn in Arizona. I switch on the heated seats in my car if it drops below 65. I know. Such a wimp. But I really don't like cold. It does get chilly here at night but the days are lovely. Sadly I haven't been able to enjoy the desert yet. I too am on deadline, facing book launch in two weeks, and moving house!JULIA: I may need to get Hallie's slippers that can be heated up via microwave! Okay, dear readers, now it's your turn. Share your secrets for staying snug and cozy (maybe it's live in Arizona during the season like Rhys and Jenn?)
*We don't actually advocate burning books. You have to see THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW for the trapped-in-the-library-and-freezing scene. In my house, we always ask, "Why don't they break apart the library chairs and burn those? Wood lasts longer."
Brrrr . . . yes to cheery fireplaces, Cuddlduds, layers, comfy warm slippers, and snuggly warm throws. Cuddling up. Big mugs of hot coffee. Hot soup . . . .
ReplyDeleteIt’s freezing here now, but, in a few days, it’s supposed to be sixty. What crazy weather . . . .
I know, Joan! I've kept the water running downstairs for four days straight, and we're forecast for 44 degrees on Monday!
DeleteToday should be a balmy 22 degrees here for the high--so cold these last few days that a trip into the garage to put out the garbage required courage and a coat. Inside--hot chocolate, down sleeping bag as a throw, and a cat on my lap as often as possible.
ReplyDeleteThis is the weather when cats earn their keep, no doubt!
DeleteOh, for a fireplace in my apartment! I live in Goshen, IN and chilly does not describe the wind chill! It reached -58 on Wednesday! Our apartment complex switched our heat to emergency system, as that heats differently. I felt so bad for my little dog. I actually was afraid he would freeze to the ground when he went out!
ReplyDeleteI remember winter in Arizona, where I lived for several years. I also grew up in Texas, where 40 was considered winter! If I could, I would move back to a warmer state!
I love these advertisements you found! The warm Dr.Pepper really is good, though I have never had it with the rum!
Stay warm!
Oh, Deb, that really does sound like the end of the world. I've wondered how little dogs manage - I heard Puppy Pads are selling well!
DeleteYes to the fingerless gloves - wearing them right now - and keeping the neck warm with a thick scarf. But my favorite new keep-warm trick is 9-inch high ankle warmers! Even furry socks and a space heater pointed to my ankles under my desk weren't doing the trick. I found thick stretchy black ones on eBay, since my knitting skills aren't up to it. I pull them on over my socks and I'm so much more comfortable.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like an excellent idea, Edith. I need to get some of those.
DeleteIt is pretty darn cold here. I make sure the heat is on to keep the house warm and hopefully no pipes freeze.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I dress in my normal winter outfit which is my regular clothes plus a sweatshirt, hat and gloves with a heavy jacket when I go outside.
At home, I'm in a heavy sweatshirt for sleeping and if I'm in the living room watching TV I have a blanket on me as well.
You know you live in New England when you don't have cute little throws downstairs - you have seriously warm blankets. And you use them!
DeleteMine have New England Patriots logos on them!
DeleteI live in LA (Lower Alabama) and in the 37 years I've been here, I remember the 3 times that it actually snowed enough for it to stick and be measured, and one Christmas when it was so cold that the edges of Mobile Bay actually froze! But the worst part about the weather here is the amount of rain we have (more than Seattle). So our cold is a damp cold, bone-chilling. And the temperature changes constantly. This week, the polar vortex didn't come down this far, but we had lows in the 20s, highs in the 40s; tomorrow the high is supposed to be 70! That means dressing in lots of layers: t-shirts, sweaters, thick socks, jackets, fingerless gloves - and then sometimes you take half of that off for the afternoon! It's hot tea in the morning and iced tea in the afternoon. The most effective remedy, though, is two dogs on my lap on the sofa, and a fluffy cat on the bed at night.
ReplyDeleteMary, my father's side of the family are from Tuscaloosa, and I remember many bitterly cold evenings and early mornings there. I think folks up in the north tend to forget the deep south doesn't benefit from the coastal waters that help keep places like Florida or California so balmy.
DeleteExactly, Julia! So the 60's that were forecast for today haven't materialized because of the clouds and scattered showers expected for the next week!
DeleteReporting in from frigid Toronto.
ReplyDeleteLayers, layers. Lots of layers. In the house, I especially lean on fat fuzzy slippers (halfway up to the knee), sweat pants, sweaters. Quilts on the couch. Pashminas to throw around my shoulders and neck.
Outside.... my fave is pyjama pants under my jeans.
But most important of all is the HOT WATER BOTTLE. A simple, time-honoured perfect device that turns a bed into a cosy cocoon. Hug it, cuddle against it, put your feet on it, just let it warm the bed.
Aaaah....
Oh, yes to hot water bottles. The perfect bed warmer, indeed!
DeleteMy bed warmers are named Toby and Penny Lane. They bookend me and keep me toasty on the coldest nights!
DeleteLest you think this is kinky, they are both Pomapoos
I forget about hot water bottles!!! They are fabulous. I have one somewhere with a lambswool cover. Going to dig that out before the temps drop again in north Texas.
DeleteThe weather here has lost its mind. We go from schools having to cancel because of the bitter cold to temps headed for the 60s by Sunday. When it's chilly, I have a wonderful little heater by my chair. I pulled an all-nighter tonight, staying up to read a book and to get hubby started to the airport on time. Now the dog and I are going to snooze for a bit.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great way of putting it… The weather has lost its mind! Perfect.
DeleteI'm in Winnipeg, Manitoba and we reached ridiculous lows this past week, like minus low-40-something-Celsius with the wind chill. That's cold, even for a city that jokes our name is Winterpeg...Inside, it's layers of clothing and regular appreciations towards the central heating system that keeps the house cozy. Outside, it's snowpants and heavy parka, gorilla-sized mitts, toque and scarf under the hood. Two layers of socks in the boots. Then I'm good to walk to the bus. The biggest hazard is having to take off my glasses so they don't frost up with my own breath! I've discovered that I can see more (fuzzily) without them on my face than I can with them on my face... #winterliving
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I always think we're pretty tough here in Maine..and then I remember what it's like for our neighbors to the north. Brrrrr!
DeleteAmanda, I remember when I was a kid— the very first time I went outside with my glasses on, and played in the snow, and then I came inside and my glasses fogged up. But it had never happened before, and I was absolutely terrified! I started yelling that I was going blind! My mother laughed for about three weeks, but I still remember that instant pit of fear.
ReplyDeleteMy latest find are the blanket scarves… I wear my clothing, and my coat, and then just layer a blanket scarf around me. They are really fabulous!
ReplyDeleteYoungest came home from uni for the weekend with one of these, and now its my new aspiration. So cozy!
DeleteI really wish those weather people would stop talking about the wind chill! Just hearing that makes me feel colder. They do the same thing in the summer with the heat index or whatever they are calling it. But to stay warm I have pj pants under my corduroy pants, then a t-shirt with a turtleneck over that and a bit corduroy shirt. My best thing is a big fluffy, fake fur throw. I keep telling myself to make a neck warmer thing because that seems to be the area I need it most. And fingerless gloves; I'll have to look for those. But I've seen gloves with like rubberized tips which I think might be great for turning pages. And if all else fails I can start vacuuming! Nothing warms me up like that but it's not exactly cozy.
ReplyDeleteJudi, the warmest I feel in this kind of weather is when I'm hauling loads of wood from outside or from the wood room in the barn. Unfortunately, it's not exactly the kind of activity I can do all day!
DeleteThunder snow isn't an exaggerated name, it's a real thing! You CAN get thunder and lightning during a snowstorm, under the right conditions (Chicago polar vortex survivor speaking here :) )
ReplyDeleteIs it a particularly midwestern or Great Lakes thing, Linda? I've never heard tell of thunder snow outside that region.
DeleteWe had thunder snow here in Bar Harbor, Maine twice since I moved here in 2010, including once last winter. It's otherworldly!
DeleteJulia, I've only seen it in the Midwestern cities I've lived in. While standing outdoors in a big snowstorm here in Chicago few years ago, a Weather Channel reporter said "Holy sh**! " live on the air when the flash and bang surprised him! ;)
DeleteNo matter how many layers I wear, I am never warm enough in the winter. For me, winter isn’t a cozy season; being cold is just as uncomfortable as being in pain! Nothing cozy about that!
ReplyDeleteDebRo, who is counting the days until Spring!!!
Clearly, DebRo, you need to consider moving to Arizona or Key West for the season, like the most intelligent of the Jungle Reds! I swear, every year, becoming a snow bird is more and more appealing...
DeleteI've experienced snow thunder, and waited all week for a frost quake. Our furnace exhaust pipe runs under the deck so the deck boards make a loud CRACK from time to time. Yesterday I finally walked the dogs when the thermometer climbed from minus 5 to fifteen. I looked like the Michelin tire man and thought the skin on my face would fall off.
ReplyDeleteI have a stack of sweaters on my bedroom chair piled by temperature, including an Aran sweater that weighs at least 10 pounds. BaaBaazuzu boiled wool mittens and the heaviest weight sweatpants, and wool knee high cross country ski socks.
The wool cross country socks sound like something I need, Margaret. I'm good at keeping my top half warm, I usually wrap a blanket around my lower half when working at the computer, but even with LL Bean sheepskin slippers, by feet and ankles get cold with ordinary socks.
Deletewool knee socks with shorter length wool hiking socks layered on top. Or battery-heated hunting socks.
DeleteEveryone who lives where it's cold, try hand warmers. They even make toe warmers now!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.amazon.com/HotHands-Hand-Toe-Warmers-Activated/dp/B06ZYW6HDK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1549028434&sr=8-4&keywords=handwarmers
I'm keeping warm in Michigan by curling up and reading in bed. The cats join me which makes it perfect. The Internet has been spotty so I'm glad my Kindle is full of good books!
The very best part of the Polar Vortex is being able to crawl into bed and read - because it's the sensible thing to do!
DeleteSoft hat, with ear flaps and a pom pom.
ReplyDeleteRamona, I have an outdoor work hat that't like a large baseball cap with ear flaps, all made from heavy polarplus. It is extremely unflattering, and I love it.
DeleteBlanket scarves? Hand warmers? Cats? I need all of them.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I woke up it was 1 degree out. I felt a craving for REAL onion soup, the kind that starts with beef stock, the kind y9u make yourself starting with roasted bones and veggies and then simmer at least 8 hours, adding warmth and moisture to the house. THEN slice 4+ lbs of onions. Caramlize. etc... Sooooo satisfying. You can't get that kind of richness out of a canned broth.
Hallie, happy to take any leftovers! ;-)
DeleteOh yum, Hallie.
DeleteOh, YUM, Hallie!!Do you do the cheese croutons on top?
DeleteEven our old house stays warm ever since we installed the new furnace. And right now, post surgery, I'm confined to the first floor and sleeping in the sun room. Even with draughty old leaded glass on three sides, it stays warm, a tine room that some architect thought needed two heat runs!
ReplyDeleteAll that and flannel nighties, and I'm good to go. It is fortunate that I don't have to go out to PT until Monday, when it will be in the 50s again. Because I can't really wear a coat with this enormous sling I'm wearing for another month.
Bless you all who are having sub-zero temps. It's a maga plot I'm sure.
Ann, I want to come stay with you, in a house with a good furnace and a warm sunroom. Sounds like bliss.
DeleteI survived the worst of the cold pretty uneventfully (through careful layering). My personal indignity is this: my car got totaled, I tracked down a replacement I would be happy with and picked it up in a city a couple hours away last night. So this morning I have a brand new, shiny red car in my garage and 6 INCHES OF SNOW on my driveway. This is so wrong!
ReplyDeleteSusan, glad you are okay!
DeleteI'm glad it all turned out okay, Susan, but wow, having to find a new car in the worst weather of the year does NOT sound like fun!
DeleteYeah...I, ah... well, I'll just be over here sending you warm wishes from Southern California.
ReplyDeleteThus is why we all secretly delight when you have mudslides, Lyda.
DeleteCompletely understandable
DeleteLayers, layers, layers, my favorite fabrics being wool, silk and fleece. Tea, cocoa, the occasional toddy. A mattress pad we can pre-heat to turn the (flannel) sheets into a toasty envelope.
ReplyDeleteWhen going outside, a proper hat that covers my ears(winter hat head is de rigueur around here) good boots and lined mittens (so much better than gloves because your fingers can keep each other warm.)
And we do go outside. Winter beach walks are good for the soul, and when you climb back into the car you feel absolutely victorious!
I took a long walk with my visiting cousins around Fort Henry Park last Saturday, Brenda, and you're right, it was wonderful. However, several spots along the trail made me wish I had crampons. They're on my to-buy list now.
DeleteI am a firm believer in the comforting magic of quilts--preferably the kind you make yourself, or get handed down from your grandmother. Curling up in a good quilt with as many animals as can peacefully coexist on the bed with me--and a good book, of course!--is my preferred way to spend a cold day. But hey, I live in Texas. Who am I to talk about cold weather? Here in Texas we all make a big batch of chili at the first sign of a temperature dip, and go right back to talking about football.
ReplyDeleteI spent last weekend in Kansas City, however, where they had real snow on the ground, and the daytime high hit 22, not counting the wind chill. I had to buy a down coat. Then I had to master the intricacies of using a two-way zipper and convince my youngest cat that the fake fur around the hood was not really a dead raccoon, so she did not have an obligation to capture and kill it. Beyond that, winter has been kind to me. Since I bought this house, five years ago, I have installed a new HVAC system and a new roof. Next on the agenda, new windows with actual insulation value. Overall, I'm snug as a bug in a rug.
That sounds so nice, Gigi! And yes, the Giant Down Coat which is a fixture everywhere A) it gets ridiculously cold and B) grown women just stop caring about anything other than warmth. I have one that falls from neck to just above my ankles. My kids call it my sleeping bag coat, because that's exactly what I look like, wearing it.
DeleteMine only comes to my knees, but it's like wrapping a whole 'nother person around my body, and takes up about that much room in an airplane seat. You're right that it is in no way fashionable. It is toasty warm, though.
DeleteDebs, my upstairs is much warmer than the downstairs, too. I wonder why?
ReplyDeleteDespite our best efforts, the toilet pipes in the downstairs powder room froze so I have to truck upstairs to pee (yes, I know, first world problems).
Generally my solution is to build a fire, that warms things up. I'll have to refill our wood bins first, though. Oh, and lots of hot tea (decaf after my first two morning cups).
Mary/Liz
Heat rises.
DeleteYes, and our attic is fairly well insulated. Also, the north windows (our bedroom) are actually new double-glazed! The south windows (my office) are the original more than a hundred-year-old, and leak like sieves, but doesn't matter so much in winter on the south side of the house.
DeleteSorry for all of you in the cold. Here it is merely in the 30's so not so bad. We missed the snow fortunately. I am not going outside however except down the street because Super Bowl and who wants to get caught up in that madness.
ReplyDeleteSending warmest wishes to all. Snuggle up and keep writing. please.
Thanks, Atlanta! I was glad to hear Georgia missed the possible plunge into snow and sub-zero temperatures - I can only imagine the nightmare that would have been for hundreds of thousands of travelers.
DeleteWith these miserable temperatures comes the glorious sunshine that I miss so much in the winter. This morning's sun has raised the temperature so high inside that I am wearing short sleeves. I try to run my errands during daylight so the sun can offset the cold. With the ordinary winter days comes the overwhelming sense of gray and gloom that makes me long for spring, so I will appreciate the vortex for as long as it will stay.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Sue! I've been noticing how the days are stretching out recently, and it's delightful.
DeleteHot Dr. Pepper? With rum? I must try that. Rhys, I'm with you on the heated seats. Even in summer, sometimes. It feels so good on my lower back.
ReplyDeleteMy tips: Alpaca socks. THE best, warmest, and snuggliest of all. I buy one (way too pricey) pair whenever I see them at the annual Wool Festival.
Wraps and blankets everywhere.
Fleece-lined cabin socks from the outdoor stores. Some of them have silicone nubs on the bottom for stability. My oldest daughter put a pair in everyone's stocking this Christmas.
Best of all, RICE BAGS. I've made a bunch of these, Steve has his own, and I have mine (named "My Precious"), and we have others at the farm. I buy a bag of cheap rice, stitch a sturdy pillowcase (I use leftover drapery/upholstery fabric), pour in the rice, stitch it closed (machine sewn is best). Microwave depending on the weight. My two-pound bag heats in 3 1/2-4 minutes. Steve's big three-pound bag gets four or more minutes. Some of them have lavender buds inside to make them smell nice, otherwise, the hot rice smells of bread, oddly. You can also use field corn, or dried navy beans. They all work, but hold heat different amounts of time.
Steve likes his around his shoulders, I usually lay mine on my lap, or under a book I'm reading. Since we have no critters to warm the beds, I often lay a heated rice bag between the sheet and the blankets near the foot of the bed while I'm getting ready to go to sleep. It warms it up nicely.
I made these for all three of my daughters, too, for soothing during cramps. They are wonderful.
I have some of these made up in polarplus covers that were a gift from a friend of mine. No lavendar, so they always smelled...off to me. Not like bread to my nose. Ross loved them, though. Maybe I should try making my own - I wonder how they would work with dried mint or peppermint oil?
DeleteProbably the oil would be better. The dried herb could catch fire.
DeleteI would sprinkle the oil directly on the rice and mix it well.
PS I am mystified why so much plumbing is situated on outside walls in cold climates. One thing I insisted on with our new house, plumbing on inside walls, only.
ReplyDeleteKaren, in my (200 year old) house it was because every single pipe was put in AFTER the house had been built. As a result, I get ice in the downstairs toilet, the cold water cuts off in the upstairs shower, and during single digit or sub-zero snaps, the washing machine stops working.
DeleteThat makes sense in your house, Julia. What a pain.
DeleteI've looked at close to 1,000 house plans, online, in magazines, and in special plan collections, and almost every one has the plumbing on outside walls. I told our architect one of my five top priorities was all plumbing on inside walls, except for the outdoor spigots. We want to be able to leave the house without worrying about pipes freezing.
My thoughts - they give these weather event scary sounding names because it drives better ratings. Polar vortex. Extra cold spell. Which are you going to tune in to watch breathless coverage of reporters standing outside for?
ReplyDeleteAs to me, yesterday, the high was in the 50’s, a 20 degree drop from the few days before. We are supposed to get 2 inches of rain between now and Sunday morning. This is my idea of horrible winter weather. I’m thinking warm thoughts for the rest of you.
We're thinking thoughts toward you as well, Mark. Just not going to say what they are. ;-)
DeleteThank you for the warm thoughts. I'm freezing! ;)
DeleteI put on my trusty leggings, my fleecy top, wool socks and climb into my bed with down filled duvets. My Siamese cats Timmerman & Teddy love to snuggle as do my three dogs ( two big and one small.) A good book ( Jungle Red Authors Of Course) an herb tea and windows that look out toward the Blue Ridge Mountains Are perfect for my kind of ultimate comfort !
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh, that sounds just about pitch perfect.
DeleteJulia, Alabama is my home state of Georgia’s neighbor! The Deep South does indeed have “ bitterly cold snap’s” as we call them. I’ll never forget the blizzard of 1972 when we got 18” inches of snow in Thomaston, Georgia! I was in a ‘ Milwaukee Back Brace’ to help correct Kiphosis - a form of Scholiosiss. The snow was magical, the quiet white noise, the smell and feel all being so foreign and such a welcome reprieve from having to wear my brace!
ReplyDeleteHa! Your hat sounds wonderfully satisfactory!
ReplyDeleteMy kids make fun of it, but I don't care.
DeleteWonderful post as usual! When it is very cold, I have hot cocoa with marshmallows. I call this type of weather "hot chocolate weather". It's very cold up in Northern California.
ReplyDeleteDiana
Diana, I noticed "National Hot Chocolate Day" was trending yesterday on Twitter!
DeleteJulia, thanks! I missed the memo on that!
DeleteDiana
Shalom Reds. Solution to polar vortex. I just don't go outside. Period. Now I must admit, I made an exception yesterday afternoon to walk a half a block to the DQ for a blizzard. (It can't really be as cold as they are saying if I am eating ice cream.) But it is mind over matter. Example: in about ten days, Major League Baseball will charge my PayPal account $20 for another season of radio broadcasts of all the the major league baseball games. If pitchers and catchers are reporting to Florida and Arizona, then Spring must be upon us. And now we are a month away from the Philadelphia Flower Show. I buy a ticket and then like Charles Barkley, I lock my card and don't bring any cash. And if it is February, then March Madness must soon be upon us. The championship game is always the first week in April so now I can look forward to the budding of the cherry trees and the tulips. The only downside is that time is moving much too fast.
ReplyDeleteDavid, you sound a lot like my late husband. No matter what the weather was like outside, Spring started when the teams reported to Florida. He was also a hard core college basketball fan (he went to Georgetown) and considered March the best month of the year. And yes, he even enjoyed the late winter as the time to peruse seed catalogues and plan the garden!
ReplyDeleteThe meteorologists on TV are having a field day with the cold snap. They get nuts here (Houston) whenever any weather "events" threaten; heavy rains mainly, since we do have flooding issues. I have to admit the term "polar vortex" sounds much cooler (no pun intended) than "cone of uncertainty" for potential hurricane paths. We do get cold weather on occasion. It affects me more because of the damp. Twenty degrees here feels different than twenty degrees in New Mexico or Minnesota. Like everyone else I layer my clothes. I've found my feet and shins get cold when I'm sitting so I try to have a throw covering them if it is cool enough.
ReplyDeletePat, my theory is that "cone of uncertainty" sounds too much like "cone of silence" to really take it seriously...
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco Bay Area is predicted to have heavy rain in the next few days. That means flooding. I know how to get around flooding and I know when to stay put, I'm really good at staying put. It actually doesn't get as cold here as it does in other places for which I am very grateful. I do know that layering is the best way to go and that if I had to go someplace very cold I would probably purchase those hand and feet warmers to keep my extremities warm because I'm not used to extreme cold. For me cold is anything below 40 degrees. Since I crochet when it gets cold I bring out my crocheting and that keeps my lap warm that and I thought I put my feet up which keeps me away from any drafts. I don't like to get cold so I'm staying here. I have been enjoying some marvellous pictures on Facebook of snow covered trees and mountains and frozen waterfalls and grateful that I don't have to put up with it. My biggest fear coming up is driving to Eugene Oregon in one day which means I have to go up 5 which means I might have to deal with snow on the road which means I don't have snow chains for my car so hopefully I don't have to put up with snow on the road. I hate sounding like a whiny person. Oh and for me to stay warm or to feel warm in my little apartment beyond the layers, I light some candles. I actually turn off lights so that where I'm sitting is all concentrated with light while the rest of the world, or my apartment, is dark. I also have some little battery operated light strings, called fairy lights that I've put in a couple of glass bottles and jars to help brighten up the gloom.
ReplyDelete