And just breathing can hurt.
It is very cold in Portland.
Today the temperatures were in the low 30’s for most of the sunlit hours, and the thermometer has come to rest in the high teens for the evening. Granted, it is nothing like Heather is experiencing up in Canada, but it is a pretty remarkable weekend for us western Oregonians. We’re accustomed to a balmy 50° most of the year 'round.
I walked around outside today to block up the vents that peek out from the bottom of my house. Apparently it is important to insulate these openings so that your water pipes don’t freeze and then explode. That would be a big mess. The world was bitter cold. I may have been close to freezing solid. A quiet, quivering “ah-h-h-h” involuntarily escaped me once in a while when I accidentally touched my icy fingers to my face. It was only a ten minute chore, but it was by far the most miserable ten minutes I have experienced in a while.
Perhaps I am not a “cold-weather person.” I like snow, but I would be perfectly happy to have it as the rare exception to 78° days. In spite of my preference, there are some things I am enjoying in this Arctic Blast (as local news has branded it):
First, it is absolutely beautiful outside. The sky is clear and bright blue. The sun makes everything look clean. It is a rare treat- although best viewed from some warm, indoor vantage point.
Second, I am having a little spring preview of my own. I brought my potted plants indoors to save them from a tragic death-by-cold. The warmer house makes the bulbs think that it is time to bloom, and a pretty little iris decided to help decorate my kitchen.
I don’t care what they say. Spring is coming.
..........
I went with some friends from Vibrant to see Sometimes in April at the African Film Festival that is showing here in Portland. It is a film about the Rwandan genocide, and it was not easy to watch. There is no good emotional process for dealing with the horrific reality of mass killings. There is no way to rationalize or justify what happened. It happened. It did. It does. And we cannot afford to pretend otherwise.
Today the temperatures were in the low 30’s for most of the sunlit hours, and the thermometer has come to rest in the high teens for the evening. Granted, it is nothing like Heather is experiencing up in Canada, but it is a pretty remarkable weekend for us western Oregonians. We’re accustomed to a balmy 50° most of the year 'round.
I walked around outside today to block up the vents that peek out from the bottom of my house. Apparently it is important to insulate these openings so that your water pipes don’t freeze and then explode. That would be a big mess. The world was bitter cold. I may have been close to freezing solid. A quiet, quivering “ah-h-h-h” involuntarily escaped me once in a while when I accidentally touched my icy fingers to my face. It was only a ten minute chore, but it was by far the most miserable ten minutes I have experienced in a while.
Perhaps I am not a “cold-weather person.” I like snow, but I would be perfectly happy to have it as the rare exception to 78° days. In spite of my preference, there are some things I am enjoying in this Arctic Blast (as local news has branded it):
First, it is absolutely beautiful outside. The sky is clear and bright blue. The sun makes everything look clean. It is a rare treat- although best viewed from some warm, indoor vantage point.
Second, I am having a little spring preview of my own. I brought my potted plants indoors to save them from a tragic death-by-cold. The warmer house makes the bulbs think that it is time to bloom, and a pretty little iris decided to help decorate my kitchen.I don’t care what they say. Spring is coming.
..........
I went with some friends from Vibrant to see Sometimes in April at the African Film Festival that is showing here in Portland. It is a film about the Rwandan genocide, and it was not easy to watch. There is no good emotional process for dealing with the horrific reality of mass killings. There is no way to rationalize or justify what happened. It happened. It did. It does. And we cannot afford to pretend otherwise.
posted by Erin 12:30 AM
2 Comments:
I looovvvee your plants, Erin!
Flowers are so beautiful!!
anything good that grows, for that matter...
Yeah, I used to tell my friends...
Just pretend you're really hot when you're freezing... say... "Man! I'm so hot!!... Someone turn on the air conditioning!" or visa versa... but I got attacked by the angry mob one too many times...
sympathy's always the best policy when it comes to the cold, it seems.
Erin, it is finally warming up here. Today it was only about -10 degrees celcius, with a soft snow falling on my way to work. Your little iris is so beautiful.
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