snuggly sleeping...

... in a bed with flannel sheets, which is something I have never experienced before. I don't think those similes that refer to '... like a rock" or "... like a log" are particularly accurate as both of those items found in their natural state are inanimate, so would not actually sleep. Plus if they were able to doze off, would only be disturbed by cataclysmic events like earthquake or tsunami. But I have slept well in the vastly different environment, so far from home and my accustomed space.

We have been staying in the house, except when I went for a walk on Monday afternoon in the sunshine, and going to Cracker Barrel for lunch on Tuesday. The weather is predicted to get really wicked tonight and tomorrow, but I hope to be back in warmer climes by then. Returning to GA later today, and back home tonight in order to be on the job Thursday morning.

I have decided I can tolerate cold as long as the sun is shining. The drab, overcast aspect of winter, when there is rain here, and frozen water falling from the sky in other places would certainly bring on that Seasonal Affective Disorder that is so debilitating. I know there are ways to compensate and counteract the effects of those seemingly endless days of cloudy weather that cause emotional stress and mental fatigue: exercise to release the good stuff, artificial light therapy to brighten/lift a floundering attitude.

I am a big proponent of natural vitamin D. Always been a person who likes the sun, especially in the chill of winter: awaiting the warming rays of natural light, feeling that I must have been a reptile in a former life. The rays of sun on a cold day, especially if there is a protected spot in order to get out of the blustery blowing wind are so comforting. Finding a calm spot to face the warmth is so gratifying, bringing the promise of warmer days to come.

We can all put on enough layers to be relatively comfortable when out in the cold, exposed to the elements. But all those items tend to make you feel like a lumbering bear, and look like the Michelin tire advertisement. With the hope that time will bring a change and allow bare skin to be exposed, warming seasons and reductions of layer upon layer of microfiber, fleece, thermal knits necessary to withstand the chill.

I be ready for spring!