good news, bad news

So good news: the flies are all dead.
Bad news: I'm freaking freezing!

I'm not a fan of the cold weather. I think I would be okay living in 80 degree weather for the rest of my life. I like the change of the seasons, but I can see them on the internet or by visiting places for short periods of time. It's not a necessity that I live somewhere that has a great show of colors in the fall, freezing temps in the winter, and rain, rain, rain in the spring. (Rain is a whole other post for another day...)

The temps dropped in a day around here, or so it seems. I'm pretty sure on Saturday it was still summer but on Sunday, it was suddenly winter. How that happened, I'm not sure. Global Warming, maybe? (Please note: this is, by no means, a political post about Global Warming. I know nothing about Global Warming, I'm not even sure I should be capitalizing it, because I have done absolutely no research on it. If that makes me ignorant, then so be it: I'm ignorant.)

So I walk around the house in pants and socks and slippers and  a t-shirt under a sweatshirt, under another bigger, warmer sweatshirt. I don't even try to match any of my articles of clothing. If it keeps me warm, it is doing what it's required to do, whether it is plaid, striped, orange, or pink. (Fortunately for my boring self, a majority of my closet is some shade of black, white, or grey, so most everything matches anyway!)

The blankets are multiplying and yet I can't seem to find one that keeps me warm enough. They are appearing out of closets and baskets, off of couches and beds. They are piling up on little bodies and then left in places that are perfect for me to trip over. Perfect mounds of warmness, left in the middle of the hallway. Because where else would they go?! A closet? Back on the bed? That's dumb because they are just going to migrate back out into the hallway in a half hour...

And you know what sounds delicious? All the warm soups and breads and chowders and pasta dishes. And you know what I'm avoiding in my diet currently? Most soups, breads, chowders, and pasta dishes. So I'm going to have a cold, fresh salad instead: no croutons.

Getting out of bed in the morning is next to impossible when it's cold outside the bed. It's tough enough to do as it is, but add an element of chill and it's a battle of my wills. Actually, I'm not even sure if there's a battle. The little good angel on one shoulder is just as snug in the bed as the little bad angel... So if I'm late to anything during the cold winter days, I'll give you one guess as to why.

Negative Winter Nelly, I know it. I just don't care to be cold. It makes me a little grumpy and irritated!

But, let me tell you what winter also does for me: it helps me look for the good.

Looking for the good is something I have been trying my best to practice for many years. Once you start the habit of looking for the good, it's not that hard to find.

Winter lets me snuggle with my kiddos.
We sit together by my roaring fire when we do school work.
(It's not actually roaring; it puts out approximately 2 feet of warmth but we appreciate its effort.)
I get to wear my fuzzy slippers.
I also get to wear my boots. I love my boots!
And fun long socks and beanies and leg warmers. Yes. Leg warmers. Don't laugh. They're adorable!
The trees are actually quite pretty in our little town. Combinations of orange, yellow, and red.
This weather means Thanksgiving is near, followed closely by Christmas and I LOVE holiday traditions!

And best of all: the flies are dead.
All of them.
Dead.

Keep looking for the good, my friends.
Find those things to be thankful in the middle of the cold, even if it's just the lack of flies.
(Well... that is not a sentence I ever foresaw myself writing!)

KC