Tiffany Painter

It was just over a week ago that I complained of the cold, before the arctic front came through and really showed me what cold was. Life has a way of testing us and helping us appreciate what is right in front of us. Before, I thought a seventeen degree morning was a frigid walk and didn’t exactly enjoy it. After several days of below zero with some blowing snow thrown in, seventeen degrees is absolutely lovely. My mark for what distinguishes a too cold morning from just a cold morning has changed. Life has a way of changing our perceptions. I’ve heard people refer to life after extreme situations as the new normal, but what does that mean? Life is fluid. It is always changing, always in motion. That is normal. A normal life is one with ups and downs. A new normal would be one that stayed constant and never experienced change. Whether this is normal or new normal for you, you’ll still need gloves and a hat this morning, but probably not in a few hours.

1/14

went in for just one
came out with three for the stack
ready for the cold

1/15

all are snug inside
tucked away from the snow, but
still a snowy trail

1/17

watching pink blanket
spread across the evening sky
from behind the glass

1/18

too cold for the snow
hiding from the wind blown drift
soon shoved out the door

1/19

fooling nobody 
fake tree towers aloft
spilling all the tea

1/20

open house today
may be a fixer upper
has unique decor