Winter is a great time to hibernate. This winter has been spectacular from within the glass windows of a warm house. Temperatures have been abnormally low for Al Gore's warming globe. We had 10 days of under-zero (Farenheit) temperatures where even a walk from the car-park to the grocery store was more than a journey. Fortunately, most of us kept warm and away from the cold. And then we had two days of glorious, warm weather in the 30s before we got battered by a snow storm that left our porch white, windows frosted and the newspaper box buried. And when it did let up, we are on the verge of another one tonight where it will be sleet, ice and snow. Wintry mix is what it is called to make it sound alluring.
Welcome to Minnesota, the land that the Indians lived and flourished without overreacting to the extreme conditions. This Indian however told herself that the best way to befriend the cold is to face it. So, on that occassional walk outside for a block, I go without my gloves all the while feeling heroic and numb with cold. I also read that the top of the head radiates the most heat and to keep it covered will help prevent that loss. So, sometimes I go without a head cover too and my ears get brittle like peanut chikki !
10 days from now we will be wallowing in the 40s with our sweaters off and in our T-shirts. But the journey from now to then will be a time to record and reflect upon. One frequently heard phrase at home is : "Cold builds character". That one comes from Y who likes to believe that torture is the best form of acclimatisation. He also believes that I need to build a lot of character !!
