Brrr

The past few days have reminded me of Brrr, a fictional little town "up north" (as we say here in Wisconsin), featured in the popular Cat Who... mysteries by Lilian Jackson Braun.  The human and feline characters in Ms. Braun's books frequently solve mysteries in the midst of severe winter weather.  I may not be solving any mysteries these days but I am feeling the severe winter weather and I question at times whether I don't actually live in Brrr.  Our December and early January were a cakewalk, so the recent blast of Arctic air has been a bit of a shock, albeit invigorating.  Each day, I have to allow a little extra time to bundle up in my long down coat, wrap a scarf around my neck, plunk my hat on my head, tuck my coat's hood over the hat, don some gloves, put on my boots and then hope that no one accidentally pushes into me, for if I fall down, I doubt I'll get the traction to get back up again!  Given my tirade about bundling up, you'd think I was anti-winter, but the truth is, I like seeing the cloud of my breath in the outdoor air.  I like the unspoiled glimmer of freshly fallen snow.  I like the dramatic sunrises and sunsets.  I like the time that winter invites for sitting with a hot cup of tea and a good book. Or even better yet, sneaking a nap on a snowy Sunday afternoon.