You might have heard that we’ve had a bit of a cold snap in Nashville this week. We got a little dusting of snow, too -- not enough to do anything fun with (in the interest of editorial honesty this snowman picture was taken in New York a week before Christmas). But because it’s so cold, what little snow we did receive is going to be with us for a few days.I guess I need to move to Canada or something because I absolutely love this cold weather. It’s not something we see too often anymore; check out my garden in December 2007, when it was 78 degrees. Last February it was over 70 degrees and spring flowers were blooming. I’ve had irises bloom in January for more years than I can count and last winter my roses never went dormant.
We haven’t had a real winter here in years and I’ve missed it. I love the bracing cold air on my morning walks, I like how your breath makes clouds in the air. I like getting bundled up to go out and I like how a pot of chili on the stove smells so much better when there’s a tinge of woodsmoke in the air. I like how the prolonged cold helps keep the bugs at bay the following summer. I don’t even mind the mess and the hassle of all those bulky winter clothes and snow-covered boots.
Even though I was born in Southern California and spent my middle and high school years there, my childhood was in New Jersey. As a kid we dragged our sleds to the neighborhood hill and came home to mugs of hot chocolate. We had snow days and snowmen and snow clothes and snow angels.
After we moved west I remember my dad sitting outside on a balmy February day, catching rays with his shirt off and calling everyone he knew “back east” to gloat about the beautiful California weather. I always thought that was a little sadistic, and it became such a regular thing that I’m sure it annoyed the hell out of people.
On top of which: not everyone wants sunshine and suntans in the winter! I like my seasons. Give me snow. And if I can't have snow, give me the cold.
