In February, I have often gone to the orchid greenhouses (just a few minutes from where I live) for the much needed splash of color. This year, I could not wait until February.
As always, I walked away with an addition to my wee collection. I fret about these babies all year long. Because they understand the pain of living here, up north, in the winter. And each January and February – the most ridiculously cold months of the year, they reward me with this:
In an interview, President Obama joked that the DC schools closed today because there was an inch of snow in DC. His daughters reminded him that in Chicago, schools never closed. In the meantime, Shelby, a blogger and commenter from Alabama, sent me this. It’s funny because, with only minor tweaking, it’s true (note my tweaks in brackets):
Wisconsin Winter Habits
60 above zero: Wisconsinites plant gardens. [ed: actually, we do it in colder temps]
50 above zero: People are sunbathing in Green Bay [ed: and elsewhere in the state]
40 above zero: Wisconsinites drive with the sunroof open [ed: of course!]
32 above zero: The water in Hayward gets thicker.
20 above zero: Wisconsinites throw on a flannel shirt [ed: the less hardy types]
15 above zero: People in Wisconsin have one last cookout before it gets cold [ed: I guess…]
Zero: Wisconsinites close the windows [not true: many NEVER close the windows; something about fresh air, bla bla bla]
10 below zero: Wisconsinites dig their winter coats out of storage [ed: about right]
25 below zero: Girl Scouts in Wisconsin still selling cookies door to door [ed: absolutely!]
40 below zero: People in Wisconsin let their dogs sleep indoors
100 below zero: Wisconsinites get upset because the Mini-Van won't start.
460 below zero: ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale). People in Wisconsin can be heard to say, "Cold 'nuff fer ya?"
500 below zero: Hell freezes over. Wisconsin public schools open 2 hours late [ed: except for UW]
I love orchids! I used to venture to the local orchid store in the winter months too, but usually with my last year's dying orchids in hand. Turns out, they really are finicky plants. But, had I been able to figure out how to keep them alive, it would have been so worth it.
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