I finished the pretty “seascape” socks last night. I didn’t have a “day of knitting” like I have recently, but I did take my knitting with me to our doctor’s appointments yesterday. What is it with being this age and doctors want to see you every three months??? Hokey Smokes…it feels like we are there ALL the time. As soon as this parathyroid thing is fixed, I do not plan to be going to the doctor nearly as much as we have been. If we could have one week where we have all our appointments, then in three months do it again, that would be more convenient. But that’s not the way it works out, is it?

We had a lovely day yesterday, in spite of the trip to the doctor. The sun was out and it was in the mid-forties. The snow was melting. We ran our errands and by the time we headed home, the clouds were getting dark and the sky was threatening rain. It didn’t hit till near dark and our lowest temperature of the season was anticipated for overnight. Rain + Overnight Lows = more snow for our area this morning. Would you believe West Virginia’s schools were closed again yesterday??? Now, with this new little bit of snow, I’ll bet dollars to donuts they’ll cancel again today! I just don’t get it. We never had days off like that and we had real snow back then. 

I’ll stop short of saying we walked five miles to school carrying our lunch…uphill…both ways. But I will say, this was back when girls weren’t allowed to wear pants to school and it got pretty darned cold standing at the bus stop in the morning. We didn’t have anything closely resembling the kind of winter gear that’s available these days. No real snow boots…at least, WE didn’t. We were lucky to have a wool hand-me-down coat and hat. Mom wouldn’t even let me wear pants under my dress just till I got to school and then take them off when I got there. It was ridiculous. 

We took a ride up to my bonus son’s house yesterday where he and one of the grands were out building a snowman….errrr, snow WOMAN. Complete with makeup. I remember playing in the snow with my friends and then with my kids when they got big enough. I don’t really mind snow so much. I’m just much happier when we don’t have to go anywhere in it.

This is the fifth winter Mr. FixIt and I have been together. The first year or two, we butted heads over the thermostat. He was used to cranking that puppy up and sleeping in a very warm room because he likes a light cover. I, on the other hand, was quite used to a very cold room with a pile of warm blankets. Slowly over the years, we have adjusted and now the main house stays at 63 all winter and the family room stays toasty warm when we are sitting in there due to the gas stove.

The bedroom has still been a bit of a sticky wicket. That’s because I like the window to be cracked open a little…no matter what the temperature is outside. I like fresh air. And a cool room actually keeps you healthier. The problem comes when Mr. FixIt walks in from that very warm family room with gas stove and his comforter and his heating pad and walks into the bedroom. I have pretty much solved that with an electric blanket with dual controls. My side is on low just long enough to take the chill off the sheets. His side is on three till he acclimates to the room temp then it’s on low all night.

I justify this by telling him the story of “Mr. Virgo and the Meat Locker.” Mr. Virgo didn’t like a cool room. He liked a frigid room. He ran the window air conditioner and the floor fan 365 nights a year. It could be -27 outside, and that air conditioner was blowing full blast. That is when I discovered the joys of an electric blanket…and wearing long johns to bed. My side of the blanket varied between 6 or 7 in the summer to HI in the winter. I explained sweetly to my Mr. FixIt that if I could survive that, I’m sure he can survive the 7.5 seconds it takes to climb in a pre-warmed bed.

All marriages are a give and take proposition. Truly, my Mr. FixIt is a real sport and I’m blessed beyond measure to have him in my life. I try to make up for the room temperature debate in other ways like…bringing him a couple warm chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven with a kiss on top of his sweet head. The quickest way to a man’s heart is warm chocolate chip cookies, right?

❄️?❄️

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Romans 8:28 NLT