A Frosty Start to 2015

It always amazes me how some Midwesterners react to the frosty temps.  I can never understand why the local media sends a frenzied message about the falling temperatures as if we've never experienced cold weather before.  I can certainly understand why a big freeze would cripple the likes of Texas, Georgia or Florida but come on people we live in a part of the country that experiences freezing temperatures every year somewhere between November and April.  Tonight on the way home from the office I stopped at the grocery store to pick up some milk.  They are predicting frigid temps and snow tonight anywhere between 3" - 6".  You would have thought the world was ending judging by the people climbing all over each other in the store.  The cars were all lined up in the parking lot, people everywhere stocking up for the arctic blast we're about to get.  Really?  3" is going to stop us from getting to the store that's an average of one mile from our homes?  It's crazy and happens every year.  Why do people act as if this will be the end of the world?  Mindboggling. 

Stop the presses, it's January in Chicagoland and we're going to be cold?!  Who knew, right?!  The news media will all freak out, people will drive as if it's a new concept to them, trains will be stuck on their tracks, busses will break down, schools will close because their furnaces break (yes, there is already a school in Chicago that just announced a school closing this evening) and before we know it the weather will break and next year at this time the same process will happen again. 

Forgive me for being sarcastic but I've lived in this area since I was 11 years old and every winter is the same.  So why do people get CRAZY when the weather drops?  I'll never figure it out and it is quite laughable.  Judging from the weather app on my phone Wednesday is the day to watch.  While I can laugh at the weather as I sit here in my warm home, I will say a little prayer for the people who have to work in the outdoors and an extra prayer for the homeless people and animals who have no shelter on these cold days and nights. 

All this weather ranting started because as I said I stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick up some milk.   I had such a craving for a good cup of hot chocolate. I was going to skip the stop when I saw the mayhem in the parking lot but I decided to go for it anyway.  In the end, I'm glad I did.  It was worth the aggravation.

 

As the snow began to fall I took a look outside my window and saw our lovely tree covered in snow and gleaming with lights.  This tree was a castoff from a friend who owns a landscaping business.  He dug it out of a clients yard but didn't want to just throw it in the dump.  They called me to see if I wanted it and of course I said yes.  That was several years ago and it has since grown into a lovely little tree.   The look of it in the falling snow was magical and a nice way to close the holiday season. 

 

 

My son is home from school for the holidays and he came in the kitchen yesterday and said "Mom, I didn't leave the heat on in my apartment, do you think it will be okay?" Since the area where his school is will be below zero even before we factor in the wind chill I told him he should probably have left the heat on even at a low setting.  Luckily he is only an hour away from here and we decided to take the ride out to turn on the heat and drop off some of his stuff.  His school is in DeKalb, IL and there are some lovely little shops in the area.  The deal was I would  take a ride with him and then he would have to let me stop in at a couple of those shops.  I just love looking at the farms along the way. 

 

 

It was a successful trip for me because one of the shops is an Annie Sloan stockist.  I picked up a can to try as I have been hesitant because it's so expensive.  I can't wait to try it on a couple of pieces in my house.  I'm going to start small and see how I like it.  I've got some small projects I want to work on first.  Keeping my fingers crossed I'll like the outcome.  I might as well start some painting projects since we can't do much outside.  Uh oh, did I just admit that the cold weather is going to keep me inside?! Yes I did, I'm just as crazy as the rest of 'em!

 

Until next time,

Debbie