This & That

Ah, the sun. Finally, we have had a week with more sun than snow, although we did get another 3-4 inches over Sunday and Monday.

I remember a conversation between some scrapbooking friends. One grew up in Alaska, the other had recently spent a year in Mongolia. We were talking about how much we enjoyed the Florida winters, and how sometimes it's nice to have a few days without sun. (Imagine that?!)

Michelle, the gal who grew up in Alaska, said something like "During the Alaska winters, we dreaded seeing the sun. It meant it wasn't only going to be cold, it would be really, really, really cold."

Sarah, my friend who spent a winter in Mongolia, agreed. "If it was sunny, I would not leave my apartment at all. It would get sooo cold on sunny days."

"The clouds," said Michelle, "they act like insulation. They keep the warmer air close to the ground. But when it's sunny, the warmer air just leaves."*

That's true here too. It is bitterly cold here today - at least for the Chicago area. Not as cold as it's ever been, but cold enough for the newscasts to fill with information about warming centers and warnings about space heaters.

I read this poem in school today and it made me chuckle. I hope you are having a 'foine day' no matter the weather where you are.**

This and That
Florence Boyce Davis

Mary McGuire's our cook, you know;
And Bridget McCann, our neighbor,
Does whatever she finds to do,
And lives by honest labor;
And every morning when she comes
To help about the dairy,
"A foine day, this!" says Bridget McCann.
"It is that!" answers Mary.

It may be June, or it may be March
With sleet and wild winds blowing,
Whether it's warm and bright and fair,
Or whether it's cold and snowing,
Bridget McCann comes bouncing in,
Her cheeks as red as a cherry,
And, "A foine day, this!" she always says.
"It is that!" answers Mary.

Read more poetry here for Poetry Wednesday.

*I've rendered the conversation as I best remember it. Since I was either nursing or pregnant and not getting a full night's sleep at the time, I do not claim to remember it word for word.

**I wish I had a cook and a helper with such good attitudes. My kids, who do help, rarely have such chipper, cheerful attitudes. Especially when it comes to helping.