At My Place: Coping with Cold!! Brr-rr--r!

How are you coping with the cold weather? Okay, maybe I'm assuming you live in the Canadian prairies too. That is not true for all the readers here. But you may have heard on the national news that our prairies are under a DEEP-FREEZE FUNK.

I had a call yesterday from a woman in BC and she assured me that the weather was fine there. I know! Usually BC and the Maritime provinces have a mild, rainy season which they call winter. The odd time they might get a snowfall, but it is usually melted within 24 hours.

But here in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, we are far more likely to have snow - even 2-3 feet deep from around the end of October to just about Easter in spring. I have grown up here in Saskatchewan, so I can usually grin and bear the snow, but I've shoveled enough snow already this winter so that I wonder if my left elbow has this permanent "tiredness" in it. (Could it be arthritis?)

However, some winters we will get a great Arctic cold air mass roll down on us from the north pole, and most of us don't need any COVID restrictions to persuade us to stay put at home if at all possible. Our temperatures drop to -39 or so, and the forecasters always add, that with the wind chill factor, it feels like -52 Celsius! If you do have to go out it is wise to put on at least two pairs of socks and then your tall boots, a long coat with a hood, (which goes over a large fur hat if you have it), and about 3 layers of gloves and big MITTS.

Furthermore, I don't just stand still to savour the cold once I'm out the door. To do that is to dare to freeze your nose and cheeks in a matter of seconds. I move as fast as I can in my bundled up bear-shape.

But hey! I don't have any urgent need to go anywhere this week. Okay, I got a check in the mail, which I should go deposit, I will need some supplements again in about a week, and my bathroom scale needs a new battery. But none that is enough to get me bundled up and ready to try driving anywhere. All those reasons will KEEP until next week.

I did actually consider on Saturday that maybe I should make an effort to go out to make sure the car is plugged in, and then plan to take a large aloe vera plant to Anna in Warman, as I've heard she is suffering from Shingles, again. But I talked myself out of even that noble reason, as I was afraid I might have car trouble on the highway, and what if it took quite a while for the CAA truck to come boost my battery - or whatever....?

Fortunately, cousin Gary, who is Anna's son, showed up Sunday afternoon at my door, wanting help with accessing his emails on his iphone. When he was ready to leave he mentioned going to see his mom, in Warman. "Oh Wait!" I said quickly, "Let me pack up this big aloe vera plant that is about to fall out of it's pot and you can take it to her for her shingles."

I showed him how he should show his Mom to clean, then slice up the aloe leaf and scrape the gel out of it to take internally. Then I packed it in a small cooler so the leaves would keep cool but not freeze - then they turn to black mush.

When he left I praised God for finding a way to get that aloe vera to Anna, without me having to venture out on the roads in this great COLD.

So I don't know how you cope with great COLD temperatures. Or, how you would cope if you ever found yourself in such a time and place. But obviously, my answer is to stay indoors, and do what my business agenda says I should do each day.

I'm grateful that my furnace kicks in as often as it does. (Though that does mean I deal with dry, itchy skin most days).

You know... perhaps if I could get my kitchen renovated, especially with that old window with only 3 pieces of plexiglass, allowing a draft to come in through there - to be replaced. And then eventually a good house-wrap with pretty mint-green vinyl siding all around.... then I'd really be cozy here! Hmmm!! Then the furnace would not have to kick in so often to maintain a decent temperature.

Yes, there is always room for improvement. But I can cope with the COLD. Thank God!

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