My God I can’t believe how cold it’s been! Apparently, there are reports that Alberta, in particular the region we live in, is currently the coldest place on the planet. I don’t know if that’s true — I have my suspicions that Antarctica might still be somewhat colder — but it sure feels like it at the moment.
Buses are cancelled in our division today, and so I thought good I don’t have to go out in this weather. But duty made me try. I went out to start my car — it had been plugged in since 1 am Sunday — and it barely started. When it did it made this nasty, unhealthy sound, like an ancient electric can opener that no longer has enough juice to even scratch the surface of the lid it’s supposed to be cutting through. I let it run for about 10 minutes and even after that it still sounded rough, so I decided that even though I’m barely 10 minutes from where I work, I’m not going to chance it. The fear of freezing and of being without a vehicle are just to great for me. I’ll go out and run the car every couple of hours for 10 minutes, hopefully that will enough to keep it from seizing up.
Just the few minutes it took for me to run outside and deal with the car was bad, I can’t imagine having to be out there for any extended period of time. Although, once upon a time when I had a dog, I would have bundled up against the frigid temps and gone out for a brief walk. That’s one of the reasons I do miss having a dog for a pet — it forced me to get out in winter even when I seriously did not want to. Dogs need their exercise, and so do humans, but where dogs will gleefully step out into the cold, concerned only about what new smells they might discover, most people won’t even bother to stick their nose out the door. That’s me, right now.
This kind of weather inspires a sort of inertia within me. Being cooped up, inside with nothing but the computer and the TV for entertainment I find myself doing little or nothing. Although I have tons of things I could be doing like: reading, crocheting, baking, cleaning, doing laundry, finishing addressing Christmas cards, writing, putting the finishing touches to the decorating, cleaning my closets, dusting my dressers, straightening up the spare bedroom, the list goes on and on and on. I just don’t want to do anything, except, well, read, maybe. That requires no effort, and curled up under a blanket I just might drift off and have a little cat nap. Such ambition!
But. . . I try not to be too hard on myself, it’s not often this kind of weather locks us into our cozy, comfy homes where we’re forced to enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet. Most of the time it’s go, go, go. Especially around Christmas. The need to feel like we’re doing more, being more is incredibly high around the holidays, so if nature gives us a day off I think we’re wise to take advantage of it.
Eleven more sleeps til Christmas — I’m looking forward to seeing my grandchildren on Christmas morning as they tear through their presents. I want to see my son and his wife enjoy their first Christmas in their new home, and I’m so pleased we’re invited to be a part of that happiness. For Tim and I, that’s what it’s mainly about now: We’re on the outside, looking in, and what we see is what makes us smile and brings us joy.
An update on the Christmas tree: it got decorated yesterday and it is absolutely lovely! I will post a picture here as soon as I get one taken.
Ho! Ho! Ho!
All That Matters 