I think winter sends people a little batty. By
people, I mean me. I have long loathed winter. The chill in the air, the way it
makes skin dry, noses runny, bones achy and folks sickly. I much prefer the
sexiness that is summer – bronzed shoulders glistening in the sun, shorts, sandals
and legs out. This tights-every-day, scarf-covering-neck, long-sleeves, heater-on
bizzo is just plain annoying.
But last year I made a pact with myself
that I would no longer whinge about the cold. There is absolutely nothing I can
do about it, it will roll on every year, same time, same place, so what is
really the point of complaining? I can’t do much about it. Unless of course I
move to the tropics, but that’s another story.
I spent three years living in the tropics and
have long escaped our cold climate to head to where the beach is. I was born a
summer baby, I have loved the heat from as long as I can remember. As a kid I
would spend the entire summer running around in my bikini, I loved everything
that epitomises summer. Still do. So when winter kicks in and I find myself
shivering from the cold and my bones ache no matter how rugged up I am, my neck burdened by permanent pain (from a childhood neck injury) and the only relief I have
is codeine and a mountain of blankets over socks, scarf, jammies, hoodie and
whatever else I can find that looks warm, my head kicks into glum overdrive. I
can’t help it. I try not to let the climate control my mood but by God I get
grumpy.
This morning was a particularly crappy morning, you know the one where
you’re running late for school for the fifth day in a row (what IS it with this
week), you realise all too late that there is no bread for lunches (who put the bread back into the freezer with crusts only - oh wait, that'd be me), your skirt needs
ironing but then you discover it is marked with caked on washing powder so you have to spot
clean it, your car has no fuel and it’s SO FREAKING COLD your fingers could very
well snap off as you lock the front door. And then you drive around the corner
to see this:
The stillest, calmest, most beautiful sight for tired eyes. Maybe I could appreciate winter beauty after all.
Have a fabulous weekend people. You will find me snuggled up on the lounge, heater on, head hidden among layers of scarf. If you're lucky you might find me lurking around the river, but I guarantee you won't find me whinging. Well at least not out loud.
