The Blue and the Gray

Get ready for a cranky rant - I have issues with February.

I really do like winter, I have nothing against winter, but lately it's been getting me down. February and early March are frankly hard for me - this is when I pay the fiddler to live in an otherwise spectacular climate.

This time of year in the Upper Midwest is just plain ugly. The snow is dirty, the ice is thick, folks are pale and cranky, my winter coat is dirty and smelly, the car is a pit, the skies are uniform iron gray, and the sun makes sporadic appearances. And I don't like Valentine's day. I resent being told by corporations that I need to express my affection by purchasing their crap. My husband and I have an alternative holiday - I make him a lasagna and he cleans out the van.

I used to have hopes that late winter would be a time to throw another log on the fire and curl up with a hot drink and a good book. But no, life goes on at the same pace. I still have to load groceries, haul kids, and sweep out the garage. Our schedule is just as full as ever. Only now we have to work around piles of dirty and frozen precipitation.

February - not my favorite.