My daughter will be flying in from Massachusetts later on today, and I know that she is hoping that our warm and muggy days hold out during her visit. The weather out east has been an eye-opening experience for her.
Yesterday we were wearing elbow-length shirts, but today is supposed to only get up to 63*… Not as bad as Cambridge winters, but certainly not as good as our previous 70* days.
Every once in a while my husband and I talk about where we would like to retire – when he finally retires. He comes from Ohio, and I have such fond memories of my grandmother’s home in northern Iowa >>> Those two states come up a lot. We had a little bit of a cold snap two weeks ago (I think it got down in the 40s) and my husband again said we should scrap those two states off of the list of possible retirement destinations…
I have to admit, although I miss the beauty of the four seasons… autumns with the beautiful leaf colors and winters with the pristine snowfalls. I also remember driving on black ice, doing a 180* unintended circle on a bridge (thank goodness there were no other cars present before I was able to straighten up… and also, that my car stopped before going over the side of the bridge!)
Getting back to the original point of my entry… My daughter is flying in for the holidays, and I am in the midst of trying to get the house cleaned. (When did she start taking on a “guest” status to me?!?) We are so fortunate to have our son still living here in town, so it will be the four of us for the holidays.
It seems my housework break is up… I have a few more things to get done before picking her up at the airport…
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
I couldn’t move anywhere cold, four seasons or not! Of course I grew up in NM, where they do have snow–but in small, occasional amounts. So you get that taste of winter without really having to endure it. Besides, we have four seasons in Texas, they are just compressed. Right now is fall, for example. :>) The leaves finally turned a couple of weeks ago and fell mostly this week (when it was 70). We’ll have a winter once or twice and that’ll be plenty for me!!!
Have a great holiday, Danna. I need to work on the housecleaning thing too, but I’d just like to say that dusting is HIGHLY overrated!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, our leaves (on the few non-ever green trees around) are turning colors this week… which of course means people are out blowing their leaves onto the street, only to have them end up in yards again… an endless cycle…
linda says
Maria, Home is home, isn’t it? Although I would very much like to visit, spend a certain amount of time, in different areas of the country, ( I want to see a tree so big that a car can drive through!) I want to stay living right here in Ohio in my home town. I want to stay with what I am familiar with.
Yes, our weather is very unpredictable. Just 2 weeks ago, when remnants of the recent hurricane came through the humidity was terrible. This past summer was a very hot one. Most of us older people tend to think we are in for a very nasty winter.
This week we are supposed to have some nasty rainy, cooler tempts. But this is still home. These fast changing weather systems are the norm for around here.
I can’t imagine living in an area like Texas, with all that heat that state has experienced the last few years. But I can’t imagine all that snow and blizzard type weather that say places like Colorado or Montana might get. I don’t think I would want to live in places like the Gulf Coast with all the hurricanes, either.
My darling hubby was stationed in an Air Force base in one of the Dakotas. He said the year he was there, they had a bad snow storm on June 25th. No thanks, I’ll stay here in Ohio. Black ice, sudden snow storms, white out conditions, fog so thick birds don’t see to fly, rain for days on end, droughts in the summer. I’ll stay here. Home is home.
I remember a commerical on HGTV when one of the designers made a statement that the place he wants to be most is in his own home!! Don’t we all.!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
It doesn’t hurt that you live in a beautiful state, Linda! When we used to visit my husband’s parents out in Ohio, I remember always being impressed with Ohio’s beauty.
marion says
I’m with you, Linda. I often feel that I’d rather deal with what I’m familiar with even if it is wretched at times. What’s that expression? ‘better the Devil you know, than the Angel you don’t’. On the other hand, people like my sister deal with change much more easily than I do although she’s been known to draw the line, too. She lives in Athens, Ohio at the moment. Is that far from you? I hope your winter is not too unmanageable. We kids were raised in Morgantown, WVA with my ancestors from Pennsylvania and southern WVA for the most part. I thought snowy winters were fun as a young child but I hate it now.
Sandra says
Yep, I was born and raised in ranch and desert country outside of Phoenix…give me clear sunny skies!! Also remind me that I said that in August after 5 mos of 100-120+ temps!! LOL. Right now everyone here thinks they are freezing!! 65 and gray. But I don’t own a coat!! Yeah for that!! No snow boots, no snow blower and when it does rain I have to hunt for that old umbrella. Our windshield wipers wear out from the heat baking them not from using them. And I don’t even care that the heater has been broken in the SUV for 6 yrs now!! Merry Christmas everyone…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sandra, Phoenix is definitely out for me! 120*+?!?
Merry Christmas to you!
Annie S says
Hi! I live in the Tampa Bay area & your weather sounds like mine. My last cold place was NW Chicago suburbs with below zero weather. No Thanks!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Annie S, my sister lives in Oak Park, and she thinks my “snowy winter wonderland” locations are totally over-rated!
Regina says
My daughter and her family are flying in tonight from CO. We are having a weird spell of weather for CT. Monday was below zero,but today and tomorrow will be in the fifties. I am afraid that when winter really comes, it will zing us. I too skidded on black ice a few years ago, and I hit my neighbor’s mailbox. Now that I am retired, I won’t drive on “iffy” days. Recently someone mentioned about Christmas customs this year we will celebrate Christmas Eve. My daughters and I will make homemade manacotti for the first time in years. Happy Holidays everybody. Regina
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, it sounds like I was a lot luckier than you were on the black ice… although, at the time, I thought I was a goner.
I don’t blame you for not driving on “iffy” days. With the internet available, everything is so much more accessible than it used to be.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and enjoy the homemade manicotti!
Judy says
Having lived in IN and MN my whole life I look forward to the day when I can live in a warmer climate. I will miss the pretty snowfalls and beautiful autumn colors….for about one or (two) days…while I bask in the beautiful, warm sunshine. 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judy, you know what they say about missing what you don’t have… I’m sure that I am forgetting about how awful it was to trudge through the frozen, dirty sludge while scrapping my windshields…
Tammy says
We live where many people come to retire…the Shenandoah Valley…and I doubt that I could convince my husband to move elsewhere! 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tammy, with the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley, I doubt anyone would want to move elsewhere!
Missy says
Tammy,
I, too, live in the Shenandoah Valley, but my husband could easily be convinced to move to the beach some day!
linda says
Danna, The temps here in my part of Ohio today got to be 59. The sun did shine off and on and the cloud formations were terrific. I just finished reading a Walt Longmire novel. This sheriff’s books are set in Wyoming(I think). This book had Walt having to go on a man hunt during a blizzard in May! No thanks, I’ll keep the cold and ice we have here in Ohio. Once in a while we will have chilly weather here in West central Ohio in May but (knock on wood) I have never seen it snow.
I am not a great fan of slush, black ice, sleet and all that good stuff. But we had some hot weather here this past summer so I am not minding the cold – YET! Of course I am retired and I don’t have to get out into the bad weather anymore—makes a big difference!
Merry Christmas everyone! I am now reading “Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistletoe Mix-Up.” So far this has been a very good book. Love these English Christmas murder mysteries.
I know, I know, a lot of the states in the southwest got a lot of hot weather so I really shouldn’t complain about how hot it got up to. I don’t know how people get used to extreme hot weather or extreme cold weather!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Good grief, Linda! 59* in Ohio on December 21? My husband lived in a small town (Northfield) and I remember visiting during December, but I don’t recall any days being that warm…
You hit on the very word my husband and I use: “retired”>>> That makes a huge difference when you live in an area with ice and snow. Not having to go out in it, but being able to stay inside and enjoy its beauty sounds great to me.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Denise says
I live in the low country of SC and it was 70 today. I prefer the cooler weather to the heat and humidity the older I have gotten(thank heavens for the AC) but I just wish it would be a bit more seasonal for the holidays. No snow as I and no one else around here knows how to drive in it, but snow falling on Christmas Eve would be really nice.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Denise, I used to love snow falling on Christmas Eve and, actually, Christmas day.
(People around here don’t even know how to drive in the rain!)
Margaret says
I’m in the Capital Region of NY. Last year the winter was the “pits”. It started in Novemeber and went until April. This year Spring, Summer and Fall were wonderful. Even tho parts of New England had early snow we have been spared. The weather is still very mild for December. It seems every other year we have a tough winter. I can handle snow as long as the storms are moderate. I love the North East Coast. So much history and diversity: cities, quaint towns, country side, mountains, ocean, lakes, islands all within a short drive. We can get to so many states with a 5 hour drive or less. My favorite Cozies are set in and around New England and New England’s age adds to the cozy atmosphere. So I tolerate the occasional bad weather, because I really couldn’t live anywhere else. No place is perfect, besides no matter how much you get, snow eventually melts!
Oh and I start what I call my “big cleaning” January 2 and I will be chasing pine needles until March. I can never figure out how they get where they get?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Margaret, the northeast is another area my husband and I talk about retiring to>>> Access to all of our nation’s history would be absolutely wonderful. When we lived in Maryland and Virginia, our children were still too young to enjoy what that area has to offer. Visiting our daughter in the Washington, DC area the last two summers has been great.
Julia says
I’m with you, Margaret. I’m from the same area, and while I’m not a big fan of winter I love to feel the creeping advance of spring too much to consider living in a place without distinctive seasonal changes. Plus, as far as weather goes, we get snow but very few blizzards (hope I haven’t just jinxed that! ), storms but little effect (usually) from hurricanes, our earthquakes are teeny tiny things and fairly rare, and mudslides and forest fires are basically unknown. For my money the few months of brushing off my car and paying someone to plow my driveway are a small price to pay for all the rest.
marion says
Gotta love the Texas ‘off summer’ season-well, they say variety is the spice of life. I still remember when I had a co-worker from Scotland who was visiting Texas for a while. In mid-November he asked me when winter comes in Texas. Poor man, he had no idea that he was asking such a loaded question. It took a while to explain why winter down here comes and then leaves and then returns and then departs……! On the other hand, when I read Rosamund Pilcher’s (a very favorite author of mine, by the way) ‘September, I noted that the characters were talking about it finally really being Spring. In June!!!!!!!!!! I wouldn’t want that either! lol
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marion, I am not familiar with Rosamund Pilcher’s novels, other than The Shell Seekers, which was made into a movie with Angela Lansbury. I remember parts of the movie, and remember enjoying it quite a bit…
marion says
Oh, they’re great. Might be worth putting on the list as a non-mystery. Some of her settings are in Scotland and others are in England. When I was working at SAS shoe store, we had one Scottish customer who I believe had actually met her. They were neighbors, in a manner of speaking. It was a thrill for me to meet him!