January has always been my least favorite month of the year. It's cold. The coldest month of the year as far as I'm concerned. It's cold on day one, it's cold on day thirty one. Because it's so cold, whatever snow you have that falls doesn't really melt. Here in Utah, you have to add one other thing, it's gray. We live in a valley with beautiful mountains on either side of it. It's a very beautiful place to live. But, in January, we get inversions. It's like putting a lid on top of a bowl of soup and it traps the horrible gunk that is in the air in our little valley. It's just a nasty, ugly, gray of gray smoky stink. That snow that doesn't melt, it turns ugly gray. It's not pretty at all. The exhaust, the dirt, the smoke all attaches itself to the snow. It's completely ugly. I don't care what people say, February is cold - but, by the end of the month, it's so much better.
This year has been amazingly strange. Temperatures are usually around 20 degrees at most in January, for the high and single digits for the lows. We're still dealing with some gray, but not nearly as much. It's not been bad this year. We've had temperatures in the 30's and even the 40's. Completely unseasonable, completely beautiful. I keep waiting for the shoe to drop and for it to begin being bitter cold and it hasn't done it - YET. The other shoe may be dropping in July or August, when we have no water to speak of. Who knows.
I downloaded TimeHop to my cell phone a while ago. I really kind of enjoy it because it brings back memories of what was going on. Today's reminded me of a couple of things.
A year ago, my son, his wife and my granddaughter were living here in the house with us. My son had just got his job at the railroad and was going to school and doing on-the-job training. The last week or so, my TimeHop has been filled with pictures of the cutest little stinker Penelope when she was just four-five months old. So much fun to have a baby in the house every day for that time. I would love just holding her, snuggling her and playing with her.
But, the thing that got me was two years ago. Two years ago, Ted had spent the first two weeks of January in the hospital. He was a very sick guy. He's honestly pretty lucky to be alive right now. It was a very difficult time. It was so bitter cold, the temperature did not get above an 18 degree high during that time and was usually in the single digits. It was so stinking gray. It would snow and the snow was dirty because the air was dirty. The snow didn't go anywhere because it was so cold. I was getting my usual January Gray depression and frustration. Two years ago today, I posted on Facebook:
This year has been amazingly strange. Temperatures are usually around 20 degrees at most in January, for the high and single digits for the lows. We're still dealing with some gray, but not nearly as much. It's not been bad this year. We've had temperatures in the 30's and even the 40's. Completely unseasonable, completely beautiful. I keep waiting for the shoe to drop and for it to begin being bitter cold and it hasn't done it - YET. The other shoe may be dropping in July or August, when we have no water to speak of. Who knows.
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| Not knowing what is happening this January!! |
I downloaded TimeHop to my cell phone a while ago. I really kind of enjoy it because it brings back memories of what was going on. Today's reminded me of a couple of things.
A year ago, my son, his wife and my granddaughter were living here in the house with us. My son had just got his job at the railroad and was going to school and doing on-the-job training. The last week or so, my TimeHop has been filled with pictures of the cutest little stinker Penelope when she was just four-five months old. So much fun to have a baby in the house every day for that time. I would love just holding her, snuggling her and playing with her.
But, the thing that got me was two years ago. Two years ago, Ted had spent the first two weeks of January in the hospital. He was a very sick guy. He's honestly pretty lucky to be alive right now. It was a very difficult time. It was so bitter cold, the temperature did not get above an 18 degree high during that time and was usually in the single digits. It was so stinking gray. It would snow and the snow was dirty because the air was dirty. The snow didn't go anywhere because it was so cold. I was getting my usual January Gray depression and frustration. Two years ago today, I posted on Facebook:
"So tired of the color white!! Want some green!!!
Some little mischief makers had heard my whine. They heard me complain. They came and painted the snow green and put artificial flowers in the snow. It was probably one of the giddiest days of my entire life. As soon as I turned the corner after working all day, to see that amazing green was so exciting. I literally stood in my driveway and giggled, out loud and with great exuberance. And to know that three people loved me enough to try and make my day was even better.
It' a great memory. One that I will savor for many years. I am glad TimeHop brought it back to me today. I needed some happy memories today!!
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