Today the weather is like it should have been in October. It was crisp and cool outside, with the leaves in a myriad of “fallish” colors. The neighborhood park was filled with kids playing basketball, climbing on ‘structures’, throwing frisbees, and chasing their dog named Fantine. Oh, wait, all those kids were mine. Anyway, it was a great day. In October, it was hot as heck, sunny, and borderline miserable outside. Today I stood outside watching the park activities with long sleeves, a jacket, and my favorite winter cold guard, a scarf.

I love scarves. They are perfect for those times when a coat/jacket is too much but your sweater is too little. They are also great for covering up hickies, dry flaking neck skin, and vampire bites. No wardrobe is complete without at least…(let me count…) twelve scarves in colors varying from black to yellow. Scarves give any outfit a certain level of classiness that may otherwise be lacking your choice of ripped jeans and angry birds t-shirt. Buy a scarf. Or better yet, buy me a scarf.

I actually got a new scarf last week. One of the students from my school and church made me an amazing scarf that is both black and grey and super soft. I love it. In fact, I’m wearing it as I type because I’m freezing my butt off. I’m inside, in my room, on my bed….but the fan is on. It is way too cold to get up and turn the fan off, so I put on the scarf. Voila! Life is once again warm.

My extended family was in town today, visiting from Minnesota. To them, our crisp little delayed fall day felt like summer. How does one deal with winters that kill and bury their victims in piles of white snow? How does one ever wake up when there are only 5 hours of ‘daylight’ in a winter day? Seriously, I think I’d go stark raving mad. I mean, I’m already pretty close, but that would push me right over!

And then you have the messiness of the snow. I don’t mind water, and I don’t mind dirt, but when you get them all mixed up and frozen and slushy and….shudder. All I can see in my mind is melting mud all over my carpet. I’ll take dry warm dust any day.  Snow is beautiful seen through a window while being warmed by a cozy fire. Throw in some hot chocolate and its a Christmas Miracle but….make sure you have a way to transport me in and out of that lodge without me having to get my feet cold. I’m a desert rat and I’m proud of it! Also, I think I’m cold blooded so I’ll die in the snow……cause I said so.

Photo credit: http://cdnimg.visualizeus.com/thumbs/91/1f/snow,nature,people,photography,portrait-911f4026a5076b7d2e938af052f4a657_h.jpg