Musings
Mid-Winter Comfort
~ by Mark Blackwell
There are lot of folks who look forward to the winter months. They can hardly wait to indulge in skiing, sledding, ice skating, and hockey,“ dashing through the snow,” and“ walking in a winter wonderland.” I suspect that there are even some people who get all tingly contemplating shoveling their driveways. But that’ s a tribe I don’ t belong to— anymore.
Back in my younger days, sometime in the mid-part of the last century, I could get excited about a big ol’ mid-winter snowfall, especially the kind that heralded school closings. I remember sliding down big hills at breakneck speed, building snowmen, and tracking wildlife. I also remember spraining my ankle ice skating on a farm pond, snowball fights, and getting smacked senseless by hard-packed ice-balls to the head.
I remember breaking ice to water the livestock and wondering how old the youngest person was to die from a heart attack shoveling snow. I remember being frozen to the bone. We didn’ t have any fancy North Face insulated underwear and“ puffer” jackets like they have now. I did have a Sears- Roebuck long handled union suit, complete with the flap in the rear. And I remember, at times, wondering what hypothermia feels like … and is this it?
Well, I am not young anymore, and I am not interested in how much punishment my body can endure. I am now more than fifteen years past my first senior discount and I have
learned many lessons over the years, chiefly, if nature puts something on the ground, it is not necessarily my job to rake it or shovel it.
However, enough of reminiscing about winters past, let me tell you about how to enjoy a good snowfall or any random winter day for that matter.
First, you need some essential equipment— a comfortable chair, doesn’ t really matter what kind just as long as it’ s comfortable. It’ s also nice to have some kind of lap robe to keep the chills at bay. Second, you need a good source of radiant warmth. That can be anything from a wood stove to a fireplace, or even a space heater. Third, a warm libation, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or toddy, if you like. And fourthly, a good book to get lost in.
32 Our Brown County Jan./ Feb. 2023