I attended a wedding on Saturday. The bride and groom have been planning for months. It was to be a simple, small wedding at a little church, followed by a reception at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis. Leading up to the wedding we had a week of the nicest weather that Minnesota has to offer; low 70’s, sunshine, no humidity. In short, PERFECT wedding weather. But, about 9:00 on Friday night, the temperature started to plummet. All of us in southern Minnesota arose on Saturday morning to temps in the 50’s, and rain; lots and lots of rain.
I thought I packed well for the reception. I had my long underwear on, tops and bottoms, my long, heavy, wool winter coat, two umbrellas (one for each of us), and a blanket to lay on the cold benches. Surely, this would keep me warm. And, I can truthfully say, I was the best prepared of the group (at least I’d picked up a few tips from the many years I sat and watched tennis matches in April and May.) But, it wasn’t enough. It was just bone chilling cold. Nonetheless, the bride and groom were thrilled to be married, and we all laughed at the unusual weather we were experiencing. Better to have a smile freeze on your face, than a frown, right?
On Sunday, when we woke up to more of the same, I decided that creating a list of the positive aspects of the cold weather would keep me from, you know, too much whining. So, here is my list.
* No bugs.
* You won’t be expected to have the lawn mown regardless of how long the grass is.
* It’s a great day to curl up and read a book.
* If you are like me, and your winter clothes are still in your main closet, you now have another chance to wear them.
* The plants that just didn’t seem to be getting enough water, regardless of your efforts, are now breathing a sigh of relief.
* No bugs.
* It’s a great day to do the laundry. As an added bonus, the dryer can heat the house.
* This is perfect napping weather.
* You could make a fire (or turn your fireplace on), put in a Christmas video and work on your Christmas Sanity Plan. Or, you could just sit there, with your sweetheart and enjoy a romantic evening.
* And, if you are ready to brave the chilling temps, you’ll find the weeds are easier to pull after the rain. Again, bug free!
Now, if I could just get someone to explain this whole global warming issue to me again.