I am thankful for a warm house.
Like most of the rest of the US, we have been experiencing the effects of a polar vortex with unseasonably cold temperatures. We had several days when we were lucky if we reached double digits and this, combined with a few snowfalls, resulted in slippery surfaces that did not make it a fun time to be outside.
So I was very happy to be inside where our furnace was able to keep up with the demands of the weather outside. I was also happy that we made the decision to get new windows last year to replace our uninsulated ones.
So for a warm house to escape the bitter cold, I am thankful.
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| It all began with a snowfall one evening. Even though it was more than expected, we still didn't get more than a few inches. |
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| The snow cleared and after some shoveling, our driveway and street were clear, just waiting for the sun to melt the remaining layer of ice. |
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| However, the winds started to blow and our driveway and many streets were recovered with snow and ice which did not clear for a couple of days. Not a great picture but you can see that it was cold outside (2 F) and warm inside (69 F). |
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| Yesterday we began our warming trend that will eventually bring us into the 50's and 60's by Tuesday. The birds came out from wherever they had been hunkering down to survive the cold and visited the feeders. |
Glad to hear you survived the polar blast! It was kinda crazy, wasn't it? Our thermometer showed our lowest temp as being -6 but the official report for our town was -12. My brother-in-law, in northern Illinois, experienced -33. Now THAT'S cold!! Lake Michigan protected us from the extreme cold, although we got our usual lake effect snow (on top of system snow) so even with the rain we are currently getting, we still have a lot on the ground. My kids were off from school for 6 days due to the cold and the road conditions. I've never seen so many businesses close down around here as happened last week. I, too, was grateful for a warm house and I happily made a lot of food in the oven to add even more heat. We pulled out books and games and puzzles and movies and enjoyed snuggling in. I think everyone is ready for life to get back to normal, though. :)
ReplyDeleteI wondered how cold it was in your neck of the woods as I saw the extreme temperatures that were happening in the upper Midwest. Six days at home snuggling in sounds wonderful, but if the truth be told, I have cabin fever after just a couple of days. I didn't get off any work, but I was pretty uncomfortable on the roads more than once getting there. The library I work at and the office where they make the decisions are often on different sides of weather lines, i.e. we get snow and ice and they get rain. Decisions to close or not are not always in our favor. But that's another story.
Delete2018 was a very intense year for me; normally, like you, I'd have cabin fever, but honestly, it felt great to have a legitimate excuse to kick back. And most days, I did get out at least a little bit--visiting my mom with the kids, going to IHOP, and so on. At this time of year I put in "requests to work" the day prior to working--I've had too many experiences with horrible driving on my 35 mile commute in the winter to do otherwise (yes, I realize I am blessed to be able to do this!). Needless to say, I didn't pick up any days at work last week!
DeleteI can relate to the different decisions in work places. My husband works at an extension laboratory out here, and the main lab is in the middle of the state, where they don't get the extreme precipitation that we do. They don't always "get" what the weather is like out here.
Well we escaped the forecasted 1 inch of snow and only had cold weather for about a day and a half. Warmth is not overrated and something everyone needs to be thankful for. (Though mid July might catch me saying something entirely different!)
ReplyDeleteWhile I enjoy the change of seasons, I do not like being cold. But as you said, talk to me again in August.
DeleteIt looks like a regular "winter wonderland" outside your window, but, brr, 2F is COLD! I'm glad you were able to stay warm inside your home. Definitely something for which to be thankful!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a very cold house where we regularly had frost on the electrical outlets, so that makes me even more aware of how nice a warm house is.
Deletehope, you get warmer temperature today.
ReplyDeletehave a great day
Thanks. It is going to warm today before we go back to winter temperatures.
DeleteWe had a brief excursion into snow yesterday morning but not much and it vanished fast. I enjoyed it! Your cold was far worse and longer, but the photos are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Strayer. Snow helps a lot in making a pretty picture.
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