It is February first, wow! Seems like only a month ago, I emersion blended the top of my finger. Oh, wait. It was only a month ago. And it’s slowly healing. I can type on my computer with all ten fingers, though the injured one still feels a bit off – mostly because the surgical glue hasn’t worn off completely, which is normal according to Google.
We’ve had a few warm days lately. By warm, I mean around 30 degrees. (Why is 30 degrees so cold in the fall and so warm in the winter?) But mostly we’ve been hanging in the 20’s, some times colder. And morning walks with Scamp have been frigid, in single digits and then you add in a wind chill and you’re talking a “feels like” factor of below zero. Charlie’s been doin’ an early shift at work, so the dog duties fall to me in the AM. It’s not too bad if you’re dressed right, but God isn’t that a process what with the long underwear, double socks, polar fleece under a snowmobile suit, thick moisturizer on my face to protect it, gloves under mittens, neck gator, scarf, hat and Sorels. Scamp and me always walk for at least fifteen minutes. My rule is: we have to stay out longer than it takes me to get suited up and then undressed when I get home. And honey, fifteen minutes is just crackin’ the minimum.
My crockpot is getting a workout like it does every winter. In fact, the other day I started fantasizin’ about having two slow cookers. I could make soup for lunch and a stew for dinner. At the same time! This is what it’s come to folks. I’m no longer fantasizing about hot men, I’m fantasizing about hot meals. Yup, my crockpot and my electric blanket (dual control) are my best buddies right now.
Despite the cold, the Women Who Run With the Moose are still managing to get together for our girls night once a week. Nothing big. Just spendin’ time with friends, sharin’ good food and warm drinks. Lately, we’ve been on this coffee with Frangelico, Baileys and whipped cream kick. The coffee is decaf, but the whipped cream is the real stuff ‘cause we have our priorities in order. And God, don’t we gab and laugh up a storm. Me and the girls are thinkin’ of signin’ up for a Bollywood Workout class down to Moose Megantic adult ed. Shirley’s the last hold out, but she’ll come around. She always does.
And it’s time for my annual reminder. Tomorrow’s Groundhog Day, the official cut off for all Christmas decorations. You can keep your wreath up ‘til the end of February if you take off the red bow and replace it with somethin’ less Christmass-y. This year, I bought a wreath with fake fruit on it, apples and pears, so I wouldn’t have to sweat it. We still don’t have a ton of snow, so do it now. You don’t want to be one of those houses where the crocuses have to nudge aside a deflated inflatable Santa in order to bloom.
Well, I’m off to perform some crockpot magic. Buddle up, baby. It’s cold outside!
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
IDA’s PODCAST: Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Coming up this Winter/Spring:
March 5: Keynote speech with Pat Spalding, Seacoast Women’s Week, 9:00 a.m., Portsmouth, NH
March 21: A Visit With Ida, 1:00 p.m., Westbrook Seniors, Westbrook, ME
April 12: “Finding Your Inner Moose” book reading, Windham Public Library, 6:00 p.m., Windham, ME