Today for the second time since the start of January, lovely picturesque Minnesota has fallen into the land of the icebox cold: A Polar Vortex. Although I have lived in the Midwest all of my life save a year in France, I have never heard of the term “polar vortex” before. Curious, I looked the word up and got this definition: “a whirlpool of frigid, dense air often referred to as a polar cyclone.
It feels like a bad dream. Just a couple of weeks ago we were locked in some of the coldest, bone-freezing temperatures we have ever experienced here in Minnesota with some lows hitting an insane -55 below zero F. Schools were closed for two days while we hunkered down and stayed inside. As Minnesotans, we are hearty but only to a point.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and here we are again with an air temperature this morning of -16 F and wind chills peaking around -35-45 F. School was canceled yet again for a third day since the new year. Tomorrow a huge warm up covers the land with snow and temperatures reaching a balmy 30 degrees F. Then that mean, vicious polar vortex comes back to town with temperatures predicted to be a high of -10 F. This is the kind of weather that makes history and also makes us Minnesotans strong. For how else could we live here in such an extreme climate? My answer: Find beauty.
Taking a look out my bathroom window, it is covered in brilliant diamonds of frost.
Although the cold winter so far has kept me indoors more than usual, I try to focus on the beauty from inside looking out. I’ve become fascinated with all the varying patterns of frozen frost across my windows each day.
One thing that has been gorgeous about this cold weather is the beautiful frost on my windows. I can see a million different patterns inside each flake.
“March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life’s path”. - Kahil Gibran
“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” – Marianne Williamson
The key to surviving a Minnesota winter is embracing the warm days we have and soaking in the sunshine and snow.
My little snow princess.
“Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it”. – Roald Dahl
The gift: Dozens of handmade ice votives lined the creek near my house to light up our souls.
Rest assured….it will warm up soon. Until the next polar vortex comes are way.
