I grew up across America. Being a PK, for those who don't know that's a preacher's kid, the institution my dad was part of sent us all over. I started out in Indianapolis, but don't remember much. Then to Michigan where I romanticize what had to be incredibly hard winters on my family, but to me they were times of building snowmen, hot cocoa with your feet in front of a space heater and the magic of a new blanket of snow in the early a.m. You know before the dogs and the chained tires and the garbage men come through ruining it's pristine beauty.

Moved to Tennessee and still had snowy (not as snowy, however we still could ride our sled down the hill behind my house) winters. Moved to Ohio where as a young adult, I discovered what coping during these incredible snow storms would actually cost me. I had a Gremlin then, yeah that car where they used to joke, "Where'd you leave the other half of your car?" It was my pride and joy, but as with all station wagons, the back end was light. I remember teaching at a Juvenile Center years ago in Ohio and having to have the inmates come out and actually lift my car up and carrying it over the snow embankment. That was a great moment to say the least! They were laughing and I was too. I treated them all with hot chocolate and cookies next time I came in. Of course these were the inmates there on minor offenses, don't get me wrong. AFter that I learned to carrry sand bags in the trunk all the time.

From Ohio,after picking my car out of the ice and snow once to often, I moved to NYC, the big Apple where once again I found those frigid temps and blizzards. NYC literally shuts down during a blizzard. I saw it happen. The publishing house I was working in sent us all home before the subways closed. They called days off the rest of the week because mass transit wasn't running. I figured they'd be ready for it, being up north, but as I found out living there all those years, NYC is never prepared for anything. They just adjust quickly.

Hearing that there was land in the Poconos, we went up during the spring and fell in love with the rolling green mountains, not even having any idea how torturous the winters were. We built our house nestled there among the trees and the wildlife in a cul de sac. I remember one morning after about 15 inches of snowfall, I dug my car out to get it out of the driveway and within the time I went to grab my purse and my coffee, the snow plow (that sweet wonderful machine obviously driven by a madman that day) had come around only to bury it again. I don't think I've ever been so mad.

That was when I made up my mind -- NO MORE COLD WEATHER!!! I can tolerate heat. Don't mind it. I hate and I mean, with a healthy hate COLD WEATHER!

This a.m. when I walked to my car it was covered in frost and took about 15 minutes to get thawed out. I think my car hates it too.

Stay warm.