Cold snap

 That first snap of cold air fills you with visions of holiday joy just ahead. You climb up a ladder to the attic and bring down boxes that have been waiting for your arrival. As you grab the first of many, you remember that last year, while putting them away, you may have broken a few ornaments that you hoped went unnoticed—but surely they will be. The strings of lights went into a box as you told yourself that next year you’d straighten them out, but you know you won't.

You search through your closet for a hoodie you really like, but no matter how hard you look, it’s nowhere to be found. Then you see your grandson wearing it, and he says he hopes you don’t mind. So, you put on a sweatshirt and leash up the dog for a brisk walk. The cold air fills your nose, causing a tear or two to run down your face.

On your way home, you crave the vegetable soup your mom used to make. You decide to drive to the produce stand and buy almost every vegetable known to man. Back home, you begin the long task of cutting up potatoes, carrots, celery, and too many others to name. You cut the stew meat into chunks and cook it briefly before adding it to the soup. Finally, the secret spices Mom used go in last, as the pot fills three-quarters with water, and the magic begins.

Within an hour, the whole house is filled with the aroma you've been waiting for since the last cold snap. As darkness begins to fall, you close a few windows because the temperature is dropping, and it feels like we’re in for a chilly night. You head to the chest where the blankets are kept, and with no real surprise, you remember your daughter had hinted that she needed another blanket, so you gave her yours. Oh well, you’ll sleep in your sweatshirt.

Typical of Florida, you wake up to rising temperatures in the high sixties, with a forecast that says today's high will be seventy-nine degrees. Off comes the sweatshirt, and you put the rest of the soup into containers to freeze. By late afternoon, you fire up the air conditioner and settle back to sip the last of the unfrozen soup, longing for the next cold front so you can fully immerse yourself in the holiday spirit. You could untangle a mess of lights, but your heart isn't into it right now. Instead, you decide to watch some football and wish you were in the stands, bundled up for the frigid temperatures while sipping iced tea in your shorts. 

Mike 2025