Winter Woes and Snows

As you know I live in Rochester, NY and believe me it is a challenge living and working here in the winter. We aren’t as unlucky as nearby Buffalo (surely the worst weather in civilized territory without having much in the way of beauty), but we do have our share of snow and cold. See for yourself in some of the photos I have included of my house. Worse than Cleveland but not as bad as Buffalo, is what I always think.

So, I have compiled for you a list of the good things about winter (pretty short list) and the bad things about winter – the list can go on and on and on.

The BEST of a Northeast winter:

1. You can make a fire and sit next to it and feel warm and if you are in a really good mood you can contemplate your life after winter while staring at the flames.

2. You can drink cocoa – I prefer homemade but in a pinch Swiss Miss will do if made with real milk and you add a couple of shots of Hershey’s Syrup or Bailey’s.

3. Make some chili. You can eat a mug of it a couple of times a day and it is true comfort food without the mashed potatoes.

4. You get to wear your warmest flannel pajamas which are soft and warm all at once.

5. Make your bed up with flannel sheets. This is a little too hot for me but people swear by it – usually skinny, annoying people that are always cold.

6. Blistex and Chapstick can help heal those chapped lips and feel good too. Come to think of it, if it weren't so cold, I wouldn't have the chapped lips. Maybe this should go on the bad list.

7. Burn candles – they are so pretty, smell nice and add to the ambiance of your home.

NOW FOR THE BAD LIST (hope you have a lot of time - the list was so long I had to edit it down):

1. Travel woes – doesn’t matter if it is a car or a plane, bad weather brings trouble to travel. Nothing like sitting in an airport waiting for the snow to stop in Chicago so you can get to Cincinnati for the holidays.

2. You have to blow your nose way too much when going from the cold into a warm place –like from your car into Nordstrom’s.

3. You have to wear too many layers of clothes and when you are shopping you can get hot really fast.

4. Your friends and family in Arizona and Florida (thanks SO much John and Mike) call and make fun of you and tell you they are playing golf everyday.

5. The heating bills are even more astronomical than the cooling bills in the summer.

6. My mom can’t go to lunch or the beauty shop since the roads are bad and believe me that beauty shop appointment is a must.

7. It's too cold and snowy to walk to the mailbox and you just KNOW your latest “People” magazine is in the box.

8. Your house is drafty and you have to pull the draperies closed for warmth.

9. No outdoor activities – I guess if you ski you are OK but since I don’t, it made the list.

OK, I will stop here – I know you get the point. Anyway, if you are living in a bad climate, hang in there. Spring will come sort of soon and when it does, you will really appreciate it.