Bitterly Cold

Ever since Johnny mentioned a possible move to Chicago and we began doing research on the weather, I have wondered what extreme cold would feel like. Just the idea of single digit temps with negative wind chills made me shiver.

The first time this season that Chicago experienced these really cold temperatures was the week of January 21, the very week that our family spent in Orlando, Florida. I was thrilled with our "luck" but I remained very curious about how COLD the COLD felt. Oh, I'm sure that I've been in weather that cold, having grown up in the coldest town in Texas (Dalhart--for the curious), and also having visited Kansas City and Colorado in the winter, but never during all of those times was I focused on the actual temperature. Until now.

This all brings me to the present: the 3rd week of February, 2008. All week it's been single digits when I get up in the morning and it seems to warm up only by a few degrees. This hasn't affected me a great deal although the heater seems to have a hard time keeping the house the nice toasty 70 degrees that I like. It's been slipping down to 67 at times, and though that seems a bit chilly, compared to 4, I'll take the 67 without complaint. And it seems when I DO go outside it's to my to car that is parked in the garage, and if I have to set foot outside of my car I am quite bundled up and just make a dash for the building. (Unlike Johnny who has to walk a mile each way from the train station to work.)

So today I decided to step outside without my coat to see what it felt like. Two seconds later, back in the house, I was able to reflect on my experiment and came to the conclusion: IGNORANCE was BLISS! Yah. Probably could've gone the rest of my life without experiencing what the weatherman described today as bitterly cold. Comments like that make me long for the days described as abundantly sunny.

I can now understand what all the warnings were about from my new Northern friends: "just you wait...." "you'll get tired of the snow..." "wait until February!" "you think this is cold? this is not cold...." etc, etc. All points well taken. Even Halle is beginning to feel it. As we got out of the car today at the library she said, "Is it going to be winter for our whole lives?"(And she did not ask with sarcasm--she was serious. This winter has felt like an eternity to her.)

Now I tell you.....I did not write this blog to whine and complain. I am merely stating the facts according to me. I spent plenty of time telling of the ABUNDANTLY SUNNY days of our Wheaton summer, and it's only fair to share the woes of winter. And I admit it....it gets cold here.

But here's the deal. Am I ready to chuck this whole thing because of a few months of cold (ok, bitterly cold)? Considering the fact that I believe God moved us here for a purpose, that would be pretty short-sided. And life is what you make of it. I could choose to groan and complain about some cold air, but instead I choose to focus on all the greatness of the life provided for me!

And I HAVE enjoyed the seasons so far: the mild summer, the chill of fall, the changing leaves, the first "cold snap", the beautiful snow, and the cold winter. But now, after months of being indoors, I AM OFFICIALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SPRING!