Cold.

I realized that it has been a while--a few weeks--since I last posted anything. What have I been doing that I haven't had any thoughts to share on my blog? ...Well, nothing out of the ordinary, really. But my brain has definitely been in a non-bloggy space.

It is winter in Alberta, and it has been a rather wearisome one. From November until mid-January, we had snowfall at least once a week--and generally more often than that--including two large blizzards in a row. I nearly broke both my body and my spirit trying to keep up with the snow shoveling. I have since purchased a snow thrower. And of course, now it has only snowed twice in the last month-and-a-bit since I got it.

But, OH, the cold! This winter has consisted of alternating cycles of -30C (-22F) or +2C (35F). And virtually no in between. We get anywhere from 3-7 days of bitter, nose-hair-frosting, face-freezing, why-do-I-live-in-this-frozen-wasteland cold, followed by 3-7 days of puddle-splashing, sunbeam-lounging, turn-the-heat-down-in-my-car-even, milder temperatures. The reprieve of mild temperatures is great, but the overall oscillating routine is getting a bit tiresome. Could we just be done already and move into spring? ...Alas, today is day four of a frozen wasteland style weekend. Which is why I'm sitting here in my pajamas, under a blanket, tea and a cat at my side, catching up on my blog.

The energy to be productive when your body is frozen is understandably low. Of the hours I spend at home, more of them have been spent curled up on the couch enjoying some television, or lying in bed with a good book. Blog? Ha! All my brain's resources go into keeping my demeanor amicable during the day as I drive on icy roads, do up frozen seat belts, dress in multiple layers, and wake up in the dark five days out of seven.

But the turnaround is coming. I noticed tonight that at 7pm, there was still just a little light on the horizon. When I leave for work in the mornings, it's actually daylight. And the -30 cycles can't continue indefinitely. Spring must come.