Happy Holidays! F! It's COLD!

Merry (almost) Christmas.  Happy (almost) Hanukkah.  I want to celebrate by never crawling out of my bed where I am snuggled in with flannel sheets, two blankets, a bed spread, one throw and one afghan (which I actually made over 3 decades ago when I made an attempt to knit...it was supposed to be for a twin bed, but has stretched out to fit our Queen...I am not complaining.)

 Yes, I KNOW it's winter.  It hasn't been winter for very long, but it is very obviously winter.  Which is my least favorite season of the year...because I don't like to be cold.  And F!  It's COLD!

I know, winter is SUPPOSED to be cold; at least here in the Northeast, but...well it's just SO COLD!

I mean it's COLD!  (Yes, this was early Monday morning, but...)


On the first day of winter, snow covered the ground both in the Poconos and in NJ.  While it wasn't that much, it was enough to make it a beautiful winter scene.  Snow lying softly on the ground is lovely, but having to drive through it, well that's a different story.  Since our house is on a private drive in the Poconos, the road is not plowed.  (Although we have a nice service that comes and plows out the property and so I assume that they have to plow their way in to get to the house.  However, I had already left the house when the plow service came in, so I'm not sure what they did. although my husband said they did a nice job.  I'm just afraid to see the bill when it comes!)  I was able to navigate to the "public" road with no problem and from what I've seen thus far in the Poconos, they do a fine job of clearing the roads.  (Although I will admit that I specifically took the roads more traveled than the back roads I might have normally taken, just to be safe.)  

My son had done a nice job of clearing the drive and walkways.  (He also did an awesome job of decorating the house in NJ.  I hadn't put up a tree, but he did not just that but decorated it and various parts of the house.  I wish I had his talent.)  Unfortunately, it was so windy, that the powder was continually blowing over the places where he had shoveled.  And that was a part of the problem all day and night.  Not only was it bone chillingly cold (barely in the double digits), but the wind also gusted continuously throughout the day.  We had placed our snowman of lights up the weekend before and staked it down, but it was no match of the wind.  With a couple of bricks I was able to get it back up (freezing my hands in the process).  Even with the bricks, it fell over one more time and my son had to prop it up again.  It somehow survived after that, although its decorative scarf did not.  (Thankfully it didn't get far and I brought it inside to put back out once the wind settled down.  The wind WILL settle down, right?)

I will also admit that I took a very hot shower and climbed into bed VERY early under several blankets and throws.  With the dark coming so quickly and it being so cold, can you blame me for going to bed early and NOT wanting to climb out in the morning?

But get out I did, as it was the final Sunday in Advent.  I will freely admit that if my son wasn't working at the church and the two of us had not been asked to light the fourth candle on the Advent wreath, I might have stayed huddled up all day.  Can you blame me?

Though it is supposed to warm up a little bit this week (just a few degrees above freezing is actually warm?), I'm hoping that we don't have a white Christmas (we've already got the white), but a "warmish" one.  (I look fondly back on the year when it was so warm on Christmas that my son, along with his friends on the block went out in their pajamas on Christmas morning to show off their gifts.)  I am working (hopefully remotely) on Christmas Eve and my son also has to work at the church.  (Can I be proud and slightly annoyed at the same time?)  I'm hoping the weather holds as once the evening service is finished (and whatever necessary clean up is done), the two of us will drive out to the Poconos  (where my husband has stayed inside nice and warm) to celebrate the holidays.  (Remember, this year, Christmas and Hanukkah fall on the same day!  )  

If this beginning of winter is any indication of what the rest of the season is to be...well, how many days are there till spring?  (Too Many!)

For those of you in the cold hemisphere...stay warm.  (If you don't have to get out of bed, why would you?)  And for my friends and relations who live where summer arrives in December, say cool.  (I'm sure in 6 months I'll be moaning about that too!)


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