Cold Snap . . .

Once upon a time, in a place not so far away (actually, Breckenridge is about an hour and a half by car, in good weather), there lived a little girl who loved to play in the snow, dig tunnels, ice skate, ski, and build snow forts. She would stand still for hours in the coldest weather, attempting to catch the local wildlife, which - surprisingly - she was quite good at (and still feels terribly guilty about). After she could no longer feel her extremities, she would go inside and make a hot cup of cocoa, and - if the heat was out (which happened occasionally), she would start a fire using the huge pile of newspapers and small pieces of wood sap that were kept in a small tin container next to the fireplace.

Then the little girl grew up, and her mother moved to Las Vegas, and she traded her snowpants and moonboots for belly shirts and sunscreen. She spent long hours catching lizards . . . some of which did not survive (another thing which she still feels terribly guilty about), and whenever she felt she was about to expire from heat stroke, she would go indoors and get one of the nifty ice glasses from the freezer and drink cold water and hang out over the air conditioning vent until she no longer felt like passing out.

Which explains why I'm generally comfortable from negative 30 to 120 degrees Faranheit. However, the current cold snap (negative 18, with the windchill negative 36), has stirred a lot of old memories . . . and made me wish I hadn't given up my moonboots. On the other hand, I finally came to realize that I'm not the wuss I thought I was . . . when I lived in Breckenridge I also had a wardrobe meant to handle frigied temperatures (and a community in which you could puff without risking someone stealing your vehicle) . . . which made winter living far more bearable.

Still, the cold snap has been enough to take your breath away (literally), but it has triggered a lot of hidden memories. It reminded me how much I love the sound of crunching snow (snow only crunches when the temperature is below a certain number) . . . and how nice it is to walk into a warm room (and if you're extra-lucky, be greeted with a warm drink).

Maybe having a white Christmas adds more appreciation to the simple side of the Holiday Season . . .

Whatever the reason, while others may be daunted that the "high" for the week is thirty-two (YAY! It might get to the freezing point) a small part of me is embracing the cold snap. Then again, another small part of me (wearing a belly-shirt and holding a tube of sunscreen) is gibbering in a corner . . .

Have yourself, a merry little cold snap,
let the lights shine bright . . .
from now on, we gather round the furnace, tight. . .
So have yourself, a merry little cold snap,
and find your gloves and hand-warmers, tonight!