It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

You know how I love these 75-80 degree temperatures in December.  I was golfing Wednesday & fishing Thursday before doing some yard work today.  That’s the allure of living here.  We can usually do outdoor activities (golf, fish, tennis) 12 months of the year.  However, it is December after all, and Mother Nature is bringing down some Canadian Chill that will make it feel like Christmas.  The core of the super cold air will stay to our north & east but the next 7-10 days will be much colder than our 82 degree warmth of today.  In fact, most of next week will see highs mainly in the 50s requiring sweaters and jackets.  That cold spell could continue into the first week of the new year , but it doesn’t look like we’ll be cold enough to see a repeat of the snows of early December.  I frankly would like to see us get a light to moderate freeze on the South Shore just to kill off some of the insects and other vermin.  Sure it would kill off some plants, but the bug problem is worse without the Winter freezes. 

 

I remember going back home to Indiana every Christmas when my family was young.  Since I lived so far away, it was always nice to see my brother & sisters & their kids along with my late wife’s side of her family.  I loved my Mother-in-law and enjoyed staying in her house along with her other children & kids.  It truly was a Full House.  One year I had to go pick up my brother-in-law from the train station in downtown Chicago.  He was coming in from San Antonio and the weather was awful.  The Chicago Sun Times had a headline that read…”-25 with wind chill of -82 !!!”   It hurt to go outside & the National Weather Service warned that you could die if you remained outside for more than 10-15 minutes.   That’s one time I prayed I wouldn’t get a flat tire !  Those are times so long ago with only memories since many have passed on and my kids have moved far away.  It’s a different world now where families go where the jobs are and are separated by great distances that mean you see each other only once or twice a year.  Those of you lucky enough to have family nearby, perhaps have Mom & Dad still alive, don’t waste these opportunities to be together.   Tomorrow is promised to no one so don’t put off that visit.   I miss having my family together at Christmas time.  In fact, I miss having my family together at any time.