Brrrrrutal cold, memories old – and new!

What memories do you have about extreme cold weather? You know it’s colder than normal when every newscast leads with the weather person talking about the dangers of “wind chill” and how many hours it’s been without getting above zero! Yes, we know, we are a hearty bunch here in “Minnesnowta”, but this prolonged, frigid weather is capturing our attention.

It seems that it’s always the “extremes” that we remember the most. Maybe you’ll have stories to tell your kids and grandkids about “the winter cold snap of 2019” with wind chills of 50 below zero. For me (Doug) it brings back memories of experiencing the cold weather when I was young and not thinking that it was unusual at all – because that was my “normal”.

Growing up, I lived in a drafty, Iowa farm house with my parents. I have memories of snow blowing in through the cracks along the sides of the windows and leaving little snow drifts on the floor in my bedroom – snow which didn’t melt because there were no heat vents in my room! Solution? Wrap up in a blanket warmed by the stove downstairs, along with a hot water bottle, and quickly hop in bed and cover up with blankets and rag rugs. Then, not a big deal. Now, it would be a big deal!

I (Lynn) didn’t have anything that extreme in my past! However, I lived in a chilly farmhouse where I would stand over the furnace grate which was on the floor, hoping to get warm. When I was in first grade we moved to Minneapolis. From then on, memories of frigid weather were filled with happy thoughts of ice skating and ducking into the comfortable warming house and giggling with my little girlfriends.

Doug and I shared some old memories. Now let’s look at what can be done to make some good new memories.

So, what can Minnesotans do when it’s cold outside? Well… we can have FUN! Maybe attend the Saint Paul Winter Carnival that attracts thousands of visitors each year. There are also Pond Hockey tournaments. This year we can see the beautiful Ice Castle creation conveniently located on Excelsior Bay in Excelsior. It is even drawing national attention. Some people enjoy sitting on a frozen lake looking down a hole in the ice, hoping to catch some fish. Of course, skiing, sledding, snowboarding and ice skating are often favorite fun activities

Doug wanted to highlight the “humor” we put up with as we joke about winter. Courtesy of Athropoles.com, this humor is probably only appreciated by Minnesotans. Here goes: “It’s so cold that…

• The optometrist is giving away free ice scrapers with eyeglasses
• Dunkin’ Donuts is serving coffee on a stick
• We didn’t clean the house, we just defrosted it”

Somehow, if we can laugh at the cold, it doesn’t seem so bad.

If you don’t enjoy outside activities when it’s very cold, there are plenty of things you can do inside to make winter more enjoyable. We sometimes say to each other that, during winter, it might be nice to hibernate and eat continuously. Comfort foods such as hearty soups go a long way to satisfy those cravings. Also, the vision of oatmeal cookies dances in our heads and we can’t wait to bake some.

What about you? What will you do to make winter not only tolerable but even enjoyable?

Here are more ideas: Winter is a good time to catch up on a hobby that has been put aside for some time. What project can you create or resurrect to work on? What about cuddling up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate? How about those letters you wanted to write? Now is a perfect time to let people know you appreciate them.

We listed several things to do this winter and you probably have many more ideas. If you feel that winter is too long, here’s a thought. Hal Borland said, “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” Doing enjoyable activities in winter will help you create happy new memories. We would love to hear from you about your winter experience.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2018 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.