Happy Fall! Er, I mean Winter!

As I'm standing over my bathroom sink, peeling my eyelids open this morning, I hear a burst of laughter.

And more laughter.

Okay, I'll bite. "What's so funny?" I ask my husband. "Look outside," he mysteriously replies between chuckles.

So I saunter to the hallway window.

Snow.

And not just a little dusting like we had 3 days ago (However, I'm refusing to even label that as snow - it was merely a heavy frost. I like the land of denial. It's a happy place.)

No, this amount of the white stuff was legitimately a blanket of snow. My rooftop, the yard, the street...all solid white. I sigh and shuffle back to my bedroom to find my slippers. Unlike my husband, I'm finding no humor in this at all.

It's October 12, and I realize getting snow this early is not foreign to us North Dakotans. My sister's birthday is October 7 and I remember her celebrating several birthdays in a winter wonderland of snow. She was even born in one of the worst blizzards on record. So, I understand it's not a crazy concept, but considering the weather-year we've had, I find it rather insulting.

Consider February. And March. Mountainous piles of snow still lined the streets. You think Spring is bound to appear at some point. And it does...only to be squelched by a snowfall in JUNE. Aaargh!

But I'm hopeful. I am just optimistic enough to think summer will arrive and all the cold will be a distant memory. Then summer fails to arrive until sometime in...September. HUH??

Apparently we can forget about the season known as Autumn around here. It got so cold this weekend, the leaves vacated the trees in such a rush they forgot to turn color first. Raking up green leaves is reprehensible. One of my favorite seasons in this northern country is Fall because of the vibrant hues of the trees.

They're supposed to match the pumpkins, for heaven's sake!

And I feel jipped.

I'm obviously not alone, because as I drove - rather slid - down the street to my gym, I witnessed a man, bundled from head to toe, riding a bicycle. I thought he must have a death wish to attempt to navigate his way through snow and ice-covered streets on bicycle tires, but at least he wasn't giving in to winter. I applaud him, even if I think he's nuts.

The week's forecast is dismal, so if I see that guy tomorrow, I will probably pull over and offer him a ride. Like I said, Denial is a happy place, but it can get lonely...especially when everyone around you is facing the facts - the cold, slippery facts.

So now that winter is seemingly upon us, I do what anyone looking for a silver lining will do.

I pull on my brand-new sparkle-y snowman shirt (on clearance last Spring!), crank up the Christmas music, and start composing my Christmas letter for the year.

Because I'm still optimistic. I believe our Indian Summer is just around the corner, and then I'll be too enamored with taking jogs in the park and grabbing that last DQ treat (before they close for the real winter!) to devote any time to my merry message.