Winter thoughts

It is Winter.
I have not been warm since ... oh ... February.
It is bleak and dreary and even when the sky is blue, it is cold and windy.
No matter what I wear or how many blankets I put on the bed or how many pairs of fleece clothing and socks I wear, I am still cold.

And we are going to move to the NorthEast USA when we sell this apartment.
Upstate New York or possibly Connecticut.
Are we crazy or what ??

The difference :
A house in the US has "central heat" .. with a thermostat. Fireplaces and insulation. Windows that usually fit tight.
You drive in a car to the market if it is cold, raining, miserable. Cars have heat.

We walk everywhere here. If we take a taxi, we still have to stand out on the street and flag one down.
Sometimes they have heat, sometimes not.
Worse... in the summer when they don't have A/C.
Oh the traffic jams we have sat through in a taxi with no air conditioning on a hot summer afternoon.
(actually, I am remembering them fondly right now)


Walking fast for miles is easier when it is cold.
Today we walked but no one felt that energised .
A bench in the sunshine called to us, but after a while, the cold from the stone bench started to work its way to my brain and we walked a bit more.
Coming home meant warm blankets to wrap myself in, hot tea, scones ... I am eating too many scones these days... and being cozy.
The thing I will remember most about this winter is the Coziness.

We stay snug. We have blankets and chenille throws all over the house. Wherever you go, you can throw a blanket across your lap, roll yourself in it and watch television.
I haven't tried cooking while wrapped in a blanket, the stove and oven manage to keep me comfy.

This morning I sorta wished I could get in the shower with my warm pyjamas on though .. did I tell you about our bathroom ?
The ceilings are the same as the rest of the apartment, 15 feet high.
The floors are marble, the tiles are porcelain, one wall is all mirror and the other is a huge bathtub .
Except for the towels and little rug, it is a cold and shiny place.
Perfect in the summer.
Not so warm in the winter.
The towel warmers can only do so much.
I have considered draping myself over the towel warmer but so far have managed to just dry off and get dressed in record time.
I would win a race if they ever have one ...
Although I don't know who would agree to be in a race of getting out of the shower wet and naked and getting dry and dressed before judges. Not my best idea, is it ?

Pup used to be the best Warmer.
At night when watching television or reading, somehow without anyone noticing ... he just ended up next to me.
On the bed , wherever I was .. we would both end up snuggled warm and cozy with his blanket and I usually had a hard time staying awake. I miss that.

If we sell the apartment soon, we will be going back to the US as Autumn and Winter begin.
This will mean that we will live through a year long winter.
I have to think about this some more.