Keeping Warm is Key

Of course, we have been spoiled out here on the prairie, "where the skies are not cloudy all day." Yes, we absolutely do have days like that, and we have just experienced about two weeks of winter disguised as spring, with temperatures way above normal, lots of sunshine, knowing, of course, that we had better enjoy it while it lasts because it won't last forever, and today Winter showed its ugly face as it always does, and why should we be surprised? In stark contrast to the lovely warm respite we experienced, and not really all that disappointed that we did not have a white Christmas, I will probably not go out tomorrow at all, except perhaps to get the usual political fundraising junk mail, as the temperature is not even expected to warm up to freezing. I would like to be able to get to the hardware store to buy a plunger and some weather tape but may have to wait until Tuesday, at least. I may have to get some gas, too, but that may be held up a day or two. All this, I should be thankful, is happening over Christmas Break, so at least I don't have to worry about travel to and from work with ice on the roads. But I can't in all honesty afford to keep my apartment warm now for the next two months, because of Evergy's continual rate hikes. So, I keep the thermostat low and my coat on to avoid tripling my electric bill, keep the snakes in the windows and put tape around the front door. Discomfort, inconvenience and survival: that is what winter means to me. And it came in like gangbusters. We went from the 70s to the 20s, punctuated by freezing drizzle and high winds. Terrific. Oh, well, I should not complain. I will try to stay warm and I will try to get some reading done. I just read a book about my ancestors called Pioneer Women by Joanna Stratton. I already knew that they trekked across the land, many of them in covered wagons, made their homes out of sod and had to manage all this with much less in the way of modern conveniences than I dare to imagine, so that helps me gain a little perspective. In contrast to my forebears who had to keep a fire going day and night in weather like this, and could be cold covered with ten blankets, I have a space heater, an electric blanket, and am writing on an electronic word processor with access to the Internet and electricity to turn lights off and on at will. I imagine by now if this were 1870, I would be shutting down the oil lamps and turning in for the night, just to survive the cold until morning. Instead of that, I have books piled up on my bed that I will soon be diving into, my feet have been covered up for a couple of hours and thus are not cold, I have two thick layers of warmth on top and two blankets and a comforter over me as I leisurely lie in bed with my laptop on my knees. My heater is blowing right now, which makes me somewhat nervous, but the reality is it is winter in Kansas and I will survive. The wonderfully efficient used space heater I bought a few years ago at the Owl's Nest for $15 is still fabulously functioning, I am thrilled to report, and I have long since retired to my bedroom and shut the door. Living in one room is essential at times for staying warm economically in the world of inflationary economics such as we have been experiencing of late, and after complaining profusely for many minutes now, I think it's time to be grateful. If keeping warm for the next two months and maybe in the meantime catching up on some reading might also be a possibility, the appropriate response from me is to be filled with extreme gratitude and joy. And if I never get the reading done that I want to get done, the world will not end. In case you were wondering who penned “God's in His heaven— All's right with the world!” it was Robert Browning. (I am sure you were dying to know.) If you are wondering why I spend so much time trying to write something, I am sure I don't know, I just think God wants me to do it. I'm over trying to prove anything, and I'm ready to be free. I am fascinated by my ancestors' stories but thankful for the modern conveniences. I am weary of 24/7 entertainment and I am eager to return to reading and writing as a way to keep my brain working, and I hope some of you might share this quirky passion of mine. Love to you and goodnight.