Never, in my carefree days as a child growing up in the sunshine state, did I ever think that I would have the JOY of spending winter in Iowa! I long for the days that I laid in the pool in January with sweat running down my temple, sipping on an icy cold beverage. Instead, I sit here shivering, clinging to my hot tea, with a foot of snow outside. As a youngster I never had to start the car 20 minutes before going anywhere in an effort to break the multiple inches of ice from all glass surfaces. I was never schooled in the heat insulating properties of goose down. When it was time to get the mail we ran outside, barefoot of course, with the thick saint augustine grass blades finding their way between our toes. We did not have to spend 10 minutes suiting up, covering every square inch of exposed skin to walk 12 feet to the mailbox.
On the other hand, the beauty of freshly fallen snow is breathtaking. The other night Niles and I stood outside in the silence of the night as huge, quarter sized snowflakes fell from the sky. That is something most Florida girls don't get to see. However, the serenity and beauty were short lived as my southern buns soon began to freeze! Only 3 more months of this...
Oh, by the way, for all you southerners: Did you know that if your gas tank is low on fuel it can freeze, rendering your vehicle incapacitated....just something I learned today. Praise God, it was not a lesson learned from experience! Note to self: don't let the gas light come on when living in Arctic temps!
