IT WAS SO COLD THAT . . .

I often hear stories about "age," starting out saying, "Because people are living longer and taking better care of themselves, 60 has become the new 40."  Well, I don't quite subscribe to that, but it did make me think about redefining my ideas about weather and recent temperatures.  I used to rationalize more often about winter in the Midwest, but lately I just feel like screaming a little.  Of course to no one in particular, but no doubt I'd feel like I have control over something, and it would prove that my vocal cords are still functioning.  There have been times lately when I wasn't sure that I could make a coherent sentence.  Maybe that should have been a comforting thought, but it was actually quite scary.

So here's to hearty Minnesotans and Wisconsinites, who've endured one of the coldest winters on record, at time more than 30 degrees below normal.  The next couple of days reflect that once again, with actual temperatures hovering around -20 F. and wind chills at -40 to -50.  That's how it actually feels on our bodies.  Some of us are experts at that kind of talk.  Those brutal temperatures seem unimaginable, but it's reality, and the winds can be brutal, as they are today.  Hail to school closings and a good sense of humor! And then when it's all over, we can declare stories like this:

     It was so cold that. . . my favorite DJ on a local radio station reported that he'd gotten a call from his local school district announcing that schools would be closed the next day, which he thought was quite humorous since his child was nearly four years away from attending her first day.

     It was so cold that I was mad at the sun for playing a deceiving

 

trick on me.  It looked warm and enticing inside, but once outside, I wondered if I could make it to the mailbox at the bottom of the driveway.  It was painful just to breathe and an instant head throb. 

     It was so cold that I only saw one person wandering around in shorts outdoors.  Often when it reaches 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the Twin Cities, some people declare on their own that Spring has definitely arrived and Summer is on the horizon.

No wonder that Sinclair Lewis, a well-known Minnesota author once said, "Winter is not a season; it's an occupation."  This year that's truer than ever. 

Here are a few pertinent and uplifting quotes about weather, and winter in particular.

     "Whether the weather be fine,

     Whether the weather be not,

     Whether the weather be cold,

     Whether the weather be not,

     We'll weather the weather,

     Whatever the weather,

     Whether we like it or not."  (unknown author)


     "Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.  (Anthony J. D'Angelo)

     And one question to ponder--"Where does the white go when the snow melts?"

 

 

 

 

Perhaps one day I'll move to a warmer climate, but the memories of the winter shuffle and the beauty of a fresh snowfall will forever stay with me.

LITTLE LAMBEAU and MILLIE MAY!

Nearly a century ago my mother, a very kind and caring woman, who had plenty of spunk and feistiness, entered the world via small town Wisconsin.  Despite having multiple childhood illnesses and spending months in various hospitals, she became an avid sports fan.  My family might scoff at that and say WHAT A MAJOR

 

UNDERSTATEMENT! Above all, she lived and breathed everything about the Green Bay Packers.  She wouldn’t miss a Packers game for anything, which brings me to the Ice Bowl NFL championship game in Green Bay against the Dallas Cowboys in 1967. My mom was there to the bitter, freezing end and went home ecstatic as the Packers pulled off an incredible win, moments before the final seconds ticked away. Game time temperature was -13 and the wind chill was -48. My mother talked about it endlessly.  I’m especially thinking about her today because tomorrow, January 5, the Packers play in another Ice Bowl game, rivaling and perhaps surpassing the original one. San Francisco can only imagine what they’re in for.  My mother could tell the 49ers stories! 

But that simply delightful lady who would turn one hundred on January 15, was much more than an unusual woman who loved sports and her team.  She taught me about

 

treasuring the simple joys of life, showing kindness, and making a difference, in whatever meaningful way possible.

Her high school classmate, George, once wrote about her in the 1931 yearbook I still have, “When you get to be a senator or something like that, sometime I’ll come and listen to you debate.”  And debate she could, very convincingly.  She taught me well!

So here’s to you Millie May.  I’m sure you’ll be counting on a Packers victory tomorrow, wherever you are!  Thank you for the rich memories!