Tag Archives: winter

Let’s all Spring Forward

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Ah spring.

Or at least I think it’s spring?

It’s been a long, cold, white winter this year, hasn’t it?  I’m not complaining too much because we barely had a winter the year before and it was nice to actually get a full season of ice and snow.  But… let’s be real.  It’s been a lot the past few weeks.  Snow storms.  Ice.  Sub sub sub subzero temperatures.  Closures.  It was all a little much.

But… we’re starting to see the slightest signs that things are taking a turn for the better.  The clocks have sprung forward.  The sun has come out (a little).  We’ve had a few days where the temperature has hit the teens.  The spring equinox came and went yet again (March 20th at 5:01am).  St. Patrick’s Day was this month.  Subtle signs.

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Brrring On the Warmth: Finding Your Cozy

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There’s no winning as a Seasonal Fusser. That’s the title I’ve bestowed upon myself, a thorny crown that almost boasts a quality of perpetual discontent with the Canadian weather we each endure and endear. Emphasis on almost — because there’s a potential remedy to seasonal fussiness that I’m going to share with you.

Close-up image of a snowflake.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

First, a quick introduction: As a new member of the HOTS team (a big and sincere thank you to my colleagues for the warm welcome, by the way!), I must confess that my go-to conversation starter is typically rooted in the capricious. And amid these frigid conditions that sheathe our windows with curtains of frost, there’s no greater example than the weather.

So, here’s my two cents: I’m a fan of long summer days marked by cerulean, cloudless skies and bright rays of sun that infiltrate my windows. I especially long for it at a time when I’m often inconvenienced by slushy sidewalks, mountains of snow, and/or freezing evenings that darken before 5 p.m.

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War of the Weathers: A Short Guide to Surviving Winter Inside

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Image-of-cozy-white-blankets-white-pumpkins-and-white-owl

Gear up, everyone. I’m getting on my (probably second, it’s chilly out) pair of dueling mittens. Who knew you could turn something as mundane as tangentially related weather talk into a full-scale blog battle? Granted, I could have left my colleague Adam’s autumn defense post well enough alone and I’ve already made enough of an internet footprint on my thoughts on the cold months and their “joys”. But I submit to the court (of public opinion): where’s the fun in that? Therefore, I will not take this kind of (very fun and politely worded) slander sitting down or bundled up in too many sweaters.

Here I am, bravely waving the flag of the anti-winter camp in this Weather War. Again. Granted, I don’t mind being an army of one (my blanket burrito only has occupancy for one anyway), but in case I’m not the only person out there who refuses to step outside once I see white on the ground, I’ve put together a little survival guide full of library goodies to help you make sure you can be a winter hermit, grump, or Grinch to the fullest.

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