Chilled to the Bone

With words like artic air being tossed around by the meteorologists, I thought I was prepared for our frigid temperatures yesterday, but the blast of cold air still surprised me as I set out the door at 8:00 a.m.  The sun was deceivingly bright, making me think that the day would be warmer than it was.  By the afternoon, I decided that, despite the 19-degree high temperature, I would take a walk.  I bundled up in my full-length down coat, donned a hat under my coat's hood, added a scarf and gloves for good measure, and ventured out to the public library to return a book.  Although I was completely covered from head to toe (to the point where my glasses fogged up), I was still chilled to the bone.  The wind blew me around a bit.  The soles of my tennis shoes tapped as they touched the cold sidewalks.  As my walk continued, however, I warmed up, appreciating the bracing air, the sunshine, the female cardinal I saw in a tree and the opportunity to get outside to refresh my lungs and my perspective.  By the time I returned home, I had nearly all but forgotten that the temperature was so low, for along the way, my outdoor adventure had fed my spirit and warmed my soul.