Winter

It's winter.
I know that seems kind of obvious--especially with the snow on the ground & the temperature being in the 20s--but it sneaks up on me every year.
And every year I struggle with my love/hate for this season. I usually enjoy the outdoors--for most of the year I would rather eat lunch in the open hatchback of my car than just about anywhere else. But this particular season evokes such strong & conflicting feelings...

I hate being cold.
I love getting to bundle up in the hats & scarves & coats & boots.
I hate that it gets so dark, and so early!
I love how vivid the stars appear in the wintry night sky.
I hate how scary driving gets in this weather.
I love the snowball fights.
I hate scraping the car off anytime I leave it alone for too long.
I love how awake & alive the bracing air makes me feel.
I hate how it gets so cold that just breathing is painful.
I love cuddling with Husband under warm blankets.
I hate the almost-constant grey skies.
I love the muffled silence that comes with every snowfall.
I hate how long it takes my car to warm up.
I love the warm drinks that heat me up after being frozen outside.
I hate the cold winds--"windchill" is an evil abomination created by Satan.
I love how everything looks so much more beautiful with a layer of snow on it.
I hate how dried-out my lips & skin get.
I love getting to experience winter & Christmas & snow as a married gal for the first time ever... getting to see all this with him has been amazing.

I am looking forward to Spring, as I do every year. Had I been born pre-Christ, I very likely would have been a sun-worshiper...