Seven Reasons Why I'm not Jealous
My friend, Kent, has a job that requires him to travel a lot. I don't know all the places he goes, but it seems like it is mostly Florida, South Carolina,a few places on the east coast and the occasional jaunt to Switzerland. All nice places to visit.
He and I have been "discussing" the upcoming NCAA Men's Basketball tournament via email. He is in Florida right now and ended one of his messages with a weather report followed by "Jealous?"
I'm sure he was expecting me to say yes. It is March. March is not always Minnesota's best month. Daylight Savings Time give us a bit more light, but it can still be cold and snowstorms are still a possibility. Heck we have had snow in April and I think even in May. When it is 75-80 degrees out, the logical answer would be yes.
I thought about it for a minute. I have been to Sarasota in November so I know that Florida is a nice place. Was I jealous? I looked outside the window. The sun was shining. The sky was blue and the wind wasn't blowing. So I wrote back that I was not jealous and gave several reasons why. I'd like to share them with you. They are in no particular order.
1. The sun is shining here too. It's hard to feel bad on a sunny day no matter where you are. In Minnesota as long as the sun is out it can't rain,sleet or snow.
2. The high temp yesterday was around 30 degrees. It felt warm out. I didn't need my mittens or scarf. When I lived in North Dakota it was not unusual to see people wearing light jackets and sometimes shorts. After several weeks of single digit temps 30 degrees is a heat wave.
3. There is a certain satisfaction in seeing snow melt. This is a pleasure reserved for those hardy souls that inhabit the northern regions. No matter how much snow falls, no matter how much the wind blows it around it will eventually melt. (Unless you live in a true polar region.) It may be April or May by the time it all goes away, but it will leave.
4. Sun on the snow that is left looks pretty. There is still a blanket of clean snow covering my front yard and the fronts of many of the houses and buildings in my neighborhood. Sun hitting the snow makes it look much brighter than it really is.
5. When the weather gets warmer, the sap in the maple trees starts to rise. Sugaring season is not far away. Trees all over the state will be tapped and the sap boiled dawn to make maple syrup. I like maple syrup a lot. If you boil the syrup down even farther you get maple sugar and with it you can make maple candy. Maple is second only to chocolate and even with caramel in my list of favourite treats.
6. Spring is not far away. In the movie "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", they refer to spring as a yearly miracle. C once told me that after his first winter in Minnesota, he couldn't believe that the grass grew and the trees would leaf out. (He's originally from South Carolina.) I can understand that. This is another of those gifts that nature gives to the northern dwellers. Every spring the world is new again. I start thinking about what I'm going to plant in our garden this year. The air is fresh and the world is a wonderful place.
7. Kent is there on a business trip so I assume he will have to wear the standard business uniform of shirt,pants, tie and perhaps a jacket. In 80 degree heat this can't be the most comfortable attire. It must also be hard to be in meetings and working when you'd rather be outside walking on the beach.
So....even though it's not as warm, with snow on the ground, I'm not jealous at all. Not one little bit.
He and I have been "discussing" the upcoming NCAA Men's Basketball tournament via email. He is in Florida right now and ended one of his messages with a weather report followed by "Jealous?"
I'm sure he was expecting me to say yes. It is March. March is not always Minnesota's best month. Daylight Savings Time give us a bit more light, but it can still be cold and snowstorms are still a possibility. Heck we have had snow in April and I think even in May. When it is 75-80 degrees out, the logical answer would be yes.
I thought about it for a minute. I have been to Sarasota in November so I know that Florida is a nice place. Was I jealous? I looked outside the window. The sun was shining. The sky was blue and the wind wasn't blowing. So I wrote back that I was not jealous and gave several reasons why. I'd like to share them with you. They are in no particular order.
1. The sun is shining here too. It's hard to feel bad on a sunny day no matter where you are. In Minnesota as long as the sun is out it can't rain,sleet or snow.
2. The high temp yesterday was around 30 degrees. It felt warm out. I didn't need my mittens or scarf. When I lived in North Dakota it was not unusual to see people wearing light jackets and sometimes shorts. After several weeks of single digit temps 30 degrees is a heat wave.
3. There is a certain satisfaction in seeing snow melt. This is a pleasure reserved for those hardy souls that inhabit the northern regions. No matter how much snow falls, no matter how much the wind blows it around it will eventually melt. (Unless you live in a true polar region.) It may be April or May by the time it all goes away, but it will leave.
4. Sun on the snow that is left looks pretty. There is still a blanket of clean snow covering my front yard and the fronts of many of the houses and buildings in my neighborhood. Sun hitting the snow makes it look much brighter than it really is.
5. When the weather gets warmer, the sap in the maple trees starts to rise. Sugaring season is not far away. Trees all over the state will be tapped and the sap boiled dawn to make maple syrup. I like maple syrup a lot. If you boil the syrup down even farther you get maple sugar and with it you can make maple candy. Maple is second only to chocolate and even with caramel in my list of favourite treats.
6. Spring is not far away. In the movie "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", they refer to spring as a yearly miracle. C once told me that after his first winter in Minnesota, he couldn't believe that the grass grew and the trees would leaf out. (He's originally from South Carolina.) I can understand that. This is another of those gifts that nature gives to the northern dwellers. Every spring the world is new again. I start thinking about what I'm going to plant in our garden this year. The air is fresh and the world is a wonderful place.
7. Kent is there on a business trip so I assume he will have to wear the standard business uniform of shirt,pants, tie and perhaps a jacket. In 80 degree heat this can't be the most comfortable attire. It must also be hard to be in meetings and working when you'd rather be outside walking on the beach.
So....even though it's not as warm, with snow on the ground, I'm not jealous at all. Not one little bit.
Theatre of seasons..Thats MN. I think it makes you appreciate life more when the simple things can make you happy.
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