Life in Poland

Another snowy day

Woke up to snow again this morning. Snow, I love – on a day off. Snow on my face. Snow on my tongue. Even shoveling snow, my job as a kid, I see now was a bit fun. Instant gratification – one minute the snow’s there, the next minute it is shoveled neatly on the edge of the driveway. I exaggerate of course. It wasn’t the next minute but perhaps the next hour but still the job was done until the next snow.

Snow, I do not love as I tread to the bus stop on the unshoveled sidewalk. Snow that seems to be coming down horizontally and somehow making its way under the defense of my umbrella, collar and scarf to reach my neck. Work day snow I could do without.

I am looking forward to spring. The anticipation is driving me crazy. There are so many things I have planned for spring – plans for Easter, for our house, for our garden, but mainly just going outside. Not to mention the cold. I will not miss the cold, not that it ever really leaves me. I am perpetually cold. For those who are not, I cannot emphasize enough how uncomfortable it is to be constantly cold. When people ask me if I am cold, incredulously, as they are not, I no longer deny it. There’s no sense to deny it especially when I have goose bumps on my face. Yes, on my face. Some people get wypieczki. I get goose bumps.

I know that there are beautiful poems in Polish about winter and spring. I found a wonderful webpage once and lost myself in the beautiful words. I spent the better part of an hour searching but I cannot find that page -the page I came upon by chance, I now cannot find with any amount of searching, just when I need someone, even a poet, to convince me of the pleasures to be taken from winter and the certainty that spring is on its way.

I was more successful searching in English.

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

“She turned to the sunlight
    And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
    “Winter is dead.”
A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

Very beautiful sentiments indeed, but my heart is unfortunately neither romantic nor poetic. This is more my speed:

“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.”
Carl Reiner

Happy snow day to you.

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  • Reply
    czarownica
    February 19, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    Was looking once for A.A.Milne poem about John who had waterproof boots (see below):HappinessJohn hadGreat BigWaterproofBoots on;John had a Great BigWaterproofHat;John had aGreat BigWaterproofMackintosh —And that(Said John)IsThat.And foind many, may more there:http://www.k12.hi.us/~shasincl/poems_prop_cycle_weather.html#happinessEnjoy!

  • Reply
    czarownica
    February 19, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    Found, obviously 🙂

  • Reply
    Chris
    February 20, 2013 at 3:28 pm

    Czar – Sank you very much for this poem and the link. I could have used some waterproof boots today. The snowing continues.

  • Reply
    Tynki gipsowe
    February 20, 2013 at 7:25 pm

    Poprzedni wpis bardziej mi się podobał.

  • Reply
    Chris
    February 21, 2013 at 9:50 am

    KS stories must be coming up in the world based on the amount of spam lately.

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    February 22, 2013 at 5:53 am

    I really enjoy your blog, find it very entertaining.A warm hello from summery Cape TownKrysia

  • Reply
    Chris
    February 22, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    Thanks Krysia. Maybe you have read that I get a lot of funny questions about Poland from my American friends and family. Do you have the same problem there in Cape Town?I can send you a chilly hello from a very wintery Poland 🙂 which feels all the colder today without a car. Brrrr! Keep warm!

  • Reply
    Rafaldo
    February 23, 2013 at 9:47 am

    The only Art with the Winter that is nice and gives me positivies feelings is Vivaldi's Winter music. All other thoughts goes to Syberia and Dark Ages 🙂

  • Reply
    Chris
    February 24, 2013 at 9:42 am

    Rafaldo, I had no idea you were so romantic at heart.

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