Well, today is officially Groundhog Day. And they say that Old Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow....so that means 6 more weeks of winter. Anybody else up for some Groundhog stew?
You know how in the movie, Groundhog Day, Bill Murray has to live through the same winter day about a gazillion times? Yeah. Feels a lot like actual winter to me. Every. Single. Day.......cold, cold, cold. The alarm rings and I have to climb out of my warm bed to face yet another cold day.
Winter is so difficult for me.....Oh, it's fine until after Christmas....winter-wonderland, snowmen, North Pole, Santa, sleigh-rides, jingle bells, dashing through the snow and what-not......and then, come January, I'm pretty much done with it. The next two-three months are essentially just miserable for me.
I don't like being cold; I don't like goosebumps, chilblains, chapped lips, dry skin, runny noses, static cling, dead brown grass, naked trees, frost bite, shivering, scraping frost off my windshield, the lack of manual dexterity while wearing gloves, stiff achy joints, sharp, arctic winds, wearing 10 layers of clothing, or slipping on ice. I don't like short, gloomy days that start off gray - only to fade to even more lonely darkness at the early hour of 4pm.
Our forecast for tonight includes a "winter weather warning": Sleet, Ice, and Snow. Or as I like to think of it: Ick, Blah, and YUCK.
I have spent a good portion of today in protest of winter; dreaming of warmth.....of sunny, springtime days with balmy breezes and soft green grass that I can run through with bare feet. I even switched my winter body wash out for an 'Aruba Coconut' scent that comes in a bright teal blue that is the exact color of the Caribbean sea. I'm listening to the Beach Boys and singing along with "Cocomo" and dreaming of palm trees swaying in the sunshine and the lazy summer time. I'm longing for the joy of digging in my garden dirt to plant flowers, herbs and vegetables! I'm craving hunks of red watermelon that dribbles sweet juice down my chin with each luscious bite. I am already planning picnic lunches alongside bubbling streams on rocks with soft mossy green carpets with a canopy of lush green leaves overhead to give shelter from the sunshine. I swear I can feel the wind of my face during motorcycle rides and feel my hair whip around in the turbulent wind as we drop the top on the convertible and speed along country roads......where we can hear the crickets and katy-dids chirping along the fence rows. I can almost hear the cheery tune of the icee-man's music-box, announcing the sale of his sweet, icy drinks from the back of his pick-up truck. I can feel the pure joy of gleefully splashing barefooted into a puddle after a summer afternoon thunderstorm and see the magical sight of a thousand twinkling lightening bugs dancing in the soft evening shadows, enticing me to come play hide and seek with them. Daylight lasting until after 9pm beckons me to linger outside....to pull a few weeds, walk around the neighborhood ,or just sit on the porch and relax with a glass of ice tea.
But........according to folk-lore, we have six more weeks of winter weather to look forward to. Six more weeks of flannel pajamas, hot soup for dinner, fuzzy socks, snuggling under quilts, frosty windows that look lace-covered, and wooly sweaters. Six more weeks of cozy nights, nested at home to keep warm. Six more weeks of possible snow-days. Six more weeks of hot-cocoa and hot tea; six more weeks of sitting by the fireplace; time to dream and plan for spring. Maybe it won't be too bad, after all.
Meanwhile......anybody have any good recipes for groundhog meatballs? I've heard it tastes just like chicken!
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