Brrr and Grrr

I heard the other day that there have only been two days so far this January without a snowfall. Admittedly, the flakes of late have been gentle, sparky fluffs that freshen everything up. But I think folks 'round here are getting a more than a little crabby.

Double digits below zero are rough. I just thank my lucky stars that my family did not settle in International Falls, Minnesota where recent lows have been getting uncomfortably close to their record of -40 degrees F.

Minnesota winter can be a grind. Sniffly, snuffly viruses are ripping through like wildfires. On our walk Wednesday, Susan slipped on glare ice and konked her noggin on the concrete pretty hard.

Mild head trauma made her wonder if she was hallucinating when she heard Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann just might think she would make a good president. That this numbskull is even in Washington makes me want to eat icicles.

Maybe I can stay warm by getting all fired up. Here is one of my favorite Bachmann quotes (Earth Day speech, 2009):

"Carbon dioxide is natural, it is not harmful, it is a part of Earth's lifecycle. And yet we're being told that we have to reduce this natural substance, reduce the American standard of living, to create an arbitrary reduction in something that is naturally occuring in Earth."

I think everyone around here could use some spring green to roll in, some strong sunshine and a healthy dousing of common sense.