Sunday, 30 November 2008 - Warmth on cold winter days

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for warmth on cold winter days.

Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail. ~Proverb

Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat.
~Author unknown

I've been cold since Thanksgiving Day. That's the day winter settled in, nearly a month before its official December start.

I know the beginning of winter very well. This is my 22nd Colorado winter which means I can rightfully claim experience. Anyway, the signs are obvious - somber gray skies, bitter cold winds, snow flurries and an overworked furnace.

I greet winter's onset with my usual arsenal of edible remedies: pots of spicy homemade soup or stew, steaming mugs of ginger-laced green tea, drops of grapefruit seed extract in orange juice and hot toddies. I wear layers of high-tech, expedition weight clothing and drape Polarfleece blankets over my lap when I work at the computer or watch television. I dread getting out of bed in the morning.

Only T tolerates the cold. Actually, he prefers cooler weather. His dense oily coat is perfect for winter's sub-freezing temperatures. The North wind is his seasonal friend. Morning, afternoon and evening, T patrols his snow laden yard, investigating new scents with typical Labrador retriever delight.

I watch T from the kitchen window. Brrrrr. It's really cold outside. I take another sip of hot tea, feeling quite envious of his ability to stay warm.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.