cold

Okay, it's cold now. Not quite dangerous, but definitely cold. Toe-numbingly cold. Nose-numbingly cold. Don't-be-outside-for-more-than-ten-minutes cold. (And wear your long underwear!)

But here's the thing: I stepped out the door this morning around 10:30 under a gorgeous icy-blue sky and brilliant sunshine, and I said (out loud, to nobody in particular), "My god, it's beautiful!" (Then I inhaled and my nose hairs froze.) [pause] "...cold...but beautiful!" That's how I see it. Yes, eventually I notice it's cold. But the snow squeaks under my boots and the sun shines down (even if you don't know you're feeling it until you step into the shade) and the world is white and it sparkles and glitters (You know that department store window snow that's all sparkly? There's real snow that looks like that.) and when you inhale...well...you know you're really alive.

I'm so glad to be here. And yes, it's cold.

(PS: for the bean counters out there, "cold" last night was -46 Celsius with the wind chill, -30 C without. For the conversion impaired, that's almost -51 F with the windchill, -22 F without. Whee!)