the negatives

It was -6F (-21C) outside when I got out of bed this morning and not much warmer than that when I went to feed the animals.

In the farmhouse kitchen, somewhere in the background, the weather man was reading off wind chills in various Wisconsin communities and listening to those reports made me shiver, so I turned off the radio. I'd feel better about -35F (or -37C) if it were short-lived, but the thing is, next week promises to be even colder, so there are no bragging rights slapped onto this day when readings are merely in the lower negatives (F).

My ancient clunky parka that has soldiered with me through the coldest weather for several decades gave up the ship today. Ed and I have struggled with repairing the zipper several times and this morning it merely said -- no more. I bite the bullet and search the sales for a replacement.This is the time to find a deal and I do! 75% off.

I had been reading an essay (by Patchett) about doing a year of no buying of anything at all except for dire essentials and I wondered whether a warm jacket for negative temperatures and super negative wind chills would be considered a dire essential.  I mean, I could simply not go out and not ski...

And yet, ski we do, even on days like this.

That is, after a warm breakfast (back to oatmeal and back to chasing Dance to Ed's side of the table).

When we go to our local park (where there are zero other skiers), the zipper of my ancient parka is half open. I had considered taping it shut with duct tape, but, the sun is out and I have my warmest scarf, so I let it go. A bit of a mistake there. New jacket cannot come soon enough. I'm glad I did not sign in for a year of no buying (even if my sale jacket only came in an eye popping blushing red, which I have to say will look piercingly sharp with my pink sweatpants).  

 

(runaway ski!) 

 

(empty trails...)

 

I pick up Snowdrop as usual and we read as usual and she gobbles up a huge bowl of fruit and all this makes me very happy.

(well, the walk from the car to the farmhouse isn't too long...)

(She's really into these Polly Pocket sets. Endless new story possibilities!)

 

And so ends the first week of January. No one in the family is sick yet, we have had plenty of sunshine, and not a small amount of skiing. I'm definitely crossing my fingers for more of the same!!