It's Cold Here

It's about this time every year when we start to wonder once again why we live here. It's COLD out! For those of you who have not ever experienced it, stepping outside at -9 degrees F actually hurts. The dog has to be forced off the deck to take care of her "needs", because she doesn't want to be outside a moment longer than she has too (and apparently running down the steps to take care of business takes too long). Last night, she wouldn't even scratch at the door to be let in, because she was too busy picking up one paw and then the other from the cold deck surface! But it's also the time of year where we get an unexpected chance to toss in a favorite old movie, or to curl up under a blanket with a good book because activities were cancelled due to the weather. Or to savor the smell of dinner in the crockpot all day, because it's just too cold to go out unless we have too. So we will take and try to enjoy the days where winter forces us to slow down. We're warm, safe, have plenty to eat, and plenty of loved ones to spend the time with, and those are all wonderful reasons to remain at home on the really chilly days that are always a part of winter in Minnesota.