Monday, December 14, 2020 Minnesota Fail

I was born and raised in Minnesota. I lived through mild winters, cold winters and colder winters. I know about wind chill and I’ve experienced frostbite. So there was really no excuse for me to take a walk today improperly attired when I knew what the temperature was.

Heavy coat: check.
Warm hat: check.
Warm, comfortable boots: check.
Mittens: check.
Scarf to wind around face: AWOL. Absent WithOut Leave.

I wanted to think writerly thoughts as I walked. I brought my camera, expecting to take many photos. I took one inside before I left, sort of a throwaway capture just because it was by the door and the look of it pleased me.

I dropped off the outgoing mail in the mailbox and headed down the street. From that point on, my thoughts were wonderfully focussed:

MY FACE IS COLD MY HANDS ARE COLD MY FACE IS COLD MY HANDS ARE STILL COLD THESE MITTENS AREN’T WARM ENOUGH WHY DIDN’T I BRING A SCARF? MY FACE IS COLD…

And so on.

I took my mittens off to take two photos but my heart wasn’t in it.

MY HANDS ARE REALLY COLD…is all I got out of that.

I was impressed with how many Christmas wreaths were out in the cemetery. I consider myself to be a sentimental sop, but I’m not sure I’d remember to do something like that for a loved one’s grave year after year. Hat’s off to all of you who do.

That’s the muse-o-day for today.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning and you’d better believe I’ll be wearing a scarf when I do so.