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.

Oh Baby It's Cold Outside ~

 The skies are grey, there is a light rain, no one is out on the street and only the truly insane decide they have to go buy groceries today of all days.
Although, once a person has bought some interesting , tasty things at the market, they can warm up the house with things cooking in the oven, the house will smell homey and cozy with all those delicious scents and one could even hang out by the oven , pretending it was the Fireplace... if one were to be that needy for fireplaces, warmth and that sort of thing.

What always makes me happy about Buenos Aires is that there are actually seasons, each one is great and they all seem to last a longer time than Back in The Other World.
Spring and Autumn are blissfully long, the most beautiful times of year ( in my opinion.)
Summer starts out great but by the end , you just want some cool dry air and the chance to put on a sweater.
Autumn is so wonderful because the air is crisp and fall-like ( for someone coming from a location where Fall is fabulous) , it is long enough also.
But then winter hits and the cold gets old fast.
At least the sun usually shines.
The parrots are having a good time in their parrot condos ( nests) up at the top of the highest palm trees in the parks and all the little birds are hopping around, grabbing any goodies a person with a scone in their hand might want to share.
It snowed once in 97 years.. we were here for that.
I am hoping, judging by the damp, cold we are feeling right now, that it won't snow.
I can definitely wait until I am back in the NorthEast US to see more snow.

So f or now, where is that Big Ole Mr Sun ?