Why didn't I put on my muffler?

Happiness is a warm house, a heavy jacket, gloves and a hat.

Temperatures rapidly switched from Indian summer to full-on winter during Thanksgiving vacation. Our day's have been in the 30s with icy breezes that swirl under coats, pants and collars. The mountain passes all require chains and deft driving around all the spinouts from the crazed SUV drivers who have no clue that there is a difference between steering and braking. We are expecting temps in the teens overnight. We've had little spits of snow for three days now. The smart folks put up their Christmas lights and decorations the day after a turkey dinner. It was relatively balmy and windless then. Now...let's just say we're in no rush to get those lights up.

Kids see it the process very differently. My kindergartners burst out of the classroom for recess today and screamed in delight, "Snow!" They didn't pay attention to the winds or the piercing cold; they were totally focused on the occasional snowflake that the weatherpersons reported as "lake effects snow" from Tahoe. And my favorite kindergarten quote for the day has to be, "It's a MIRACLE! I never even made a snowflake before!" from an astonished little girl unfolding her first-ever cut snowflake.

I'll welcome winter when it gets here because it won't be a cold as this change of season. We'll see snowy sparkling yards rather than a dusting of dry snow swirling along the sidewalks. We'll see neighbors shoveling driveways rather than deserted streets as we all huddle at home. We'll hear the excited yelling of children rather than gusting winds blasting against windows. It will be calm and peaceful even if it's also cold. And we'll be used to cooler temps and working in the yard when it's 35 degrees out, not huddling inside.

(I'm feeling a little guilty about leaving Kharma outside during the day while it alternately snows, sunshines, gusts, clouds--but my wonderful neighbor reports that the puppy takes it calmly and apparently ignores the weather while she plays in the yard.)