Baby it's cold outside

Brrrrrrr  Despite the fact that my heat is running non-stop, despite the fact that the thermometer is reading a decent temperature, I can't warm up. 

What a January this has been.  And it's only been six days.  Snow.  Freezing rain.  Black ice.  Fierce winds.  Frostbite temperatures.  Frore!  (I am sending you to your dictionary for that one.) Brrrrrrr

The past few winters have been so mild that it was easy to forget where I lived.  While not a tropical paradise, I felt like I lived much farther south than I do  - like the Carolinas or Georgia.  Mother Nature was fooled, too.  The pear tree prematurely developed buds, the lilies unexpectedly poked through the mulch, and I don't remember the birds bothering to fly south for the winter. 

It is so dangerously cold that the public schools will be closed tomorrow.  I understand why as it has been reported that frostbite can occur within fifteen minutes of exposure.  Many, many students have long walks to school thanks to budget cuts to the transportation department.  Many, many more students have long waits at the bus stop thanks to those same cuts.  Too few of them have the outdoor clothing needed to survive such cold.  And those who have it will probably leave the house without scarves, heavy boots, thick gloves, and wool hats because they are not fashionable. As my friend Mary stated, Hoodies just won't do it!  I can understand the concern for the students because if they survive the walk/ride to school, who knows how warm the school will be?  My room was always cold.  Poor Mr. Mann would bring his thermometer to the room, apologize for the temps in the 50s, then apologize for being unable to do anything about it.  Brrrrrr

When the schools are closed on a Tuesday, so too is Grace Place.  Grace Place provides meals, groceries, hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, and a warm place to spend an afternoon.  There will be no such respite for people tomorrow, and I wonder what they'll do.  A few years ago a homeless person  camping in Aberdeen froze to death in her tent.  There are very few shelters, none that I know of near Grace Place.  What will these people do?  I pray for them.

My electric bill this month was shockingly high.  My house is drafty, and I weather-stripped around my cheap windows as best I could. I'm thankful to have an electric blanket and a warm dog to cuddle with tonight.  I have a pension and I will be able to pay my exorbitant electric bill.  I'm counting my blessings and adding another slip of paper to my 2014 Joy Jar.

Oh, and by the way, I leave for the Bahamas the end of this month!  I may not come home.