dear m,

I’ve been working here and there on embracing What Is, or specifically, What Can’t Be Changed, and one of those things is the weather. I really can’t say I’ve made much progress, because as you well know, I wilt in the heat, and today and yesterday have been heated. And it’s made me not very happy at all. It totally does affect my mood, or at least that’s what I assume the problem is at the moment. So, not that this will work or anything, but I thought I’d try a *pro* list of sorts re: changing weather. The thing about our weather is that it’s like a see-saw. It’s up, it’s down; unless it’s summer, it never stays the same. I can think of a lot of cons here, one of which is wardrobe, although practically speaking, I guess it’s all about layers. The biggest con is prime sick weather, because 20-degree shifts over a day or a week provide an optimum environment for germ development. I’m not sure why this is, but it’s true. Erratic weather simply messes with you, and in fact, I constantly feel like I’m fighting something. My throat, for instance, has had that sore spot on it for like, 4 weeks now. And my sinuses are always either filled feeling if it’s warm/lukewarm out, or dry, if it’s cold and the heat is on. Anyway, the point of this post was to do the opposite of whining about the weather and What Is, so here I go:

Reasons Why Erratic, SE Coastal Weather ROCKS

• Variety! I hear it is the spice of life. You get a few days of brisk cold, where you can wear a scarf and a heavy jacket and someone is always burning some leaves (one of the world’s most wonderful documented smells), and days later, you are back in flip-flops and a skirt. Weee!
• It never really gets THAT cold. Bitter, bitter cold is no fun. I’ve lived in upstate NY and Chi, and I can totally attest that any amount of time spent outside in the bitterness just plain hurts. Especially if it’s windy.
• Whenever it snows, if it does snow (boo), it never snows enough to require shoveling. And that’s a plus, because you know, J.Lo’s back isn’t great, and I sure don’t want to shovel, either.
• We get plenty of rain in there. And the garden loves rain.
• We also get plenty of sun, and the garden loves sun! Who doesn’t love sun. Why, just the other day, I got a little sunburn on my shoulders…
• You can technically go to the beach year-round. Which granted, I don’t do, but whatever. It’s there, as an option.
• Even if the weather completely sucks and never does what it’s supposed to, the mountains aren’t that far away for visiting… And I totally am, in December! I hear there’s warm cider there.

Am I convincing you yet? Please assist, as perhaps I am not the best list-maker for this topic. I feel it’s wishy-washy at best.

love, penelope