Come on spring!

Let me just say, in the interest of fair disclosure, I am not a cold weather person. Given that, these two cold winters in a row we've experienced in the South are just too much for my thin blood! I do truly believe that those of who born and raised in the warmer climes do, indeed, have thin blood. It accounts for how we can sit outside with a fine mist of sweat on our foreheads but talk about what a fine evening it is, provided of course that we are on a covered porch with a fan going and a large glass of sweet iced tea in our hand. That's when you hear conversations like this...

"Why Betty Lou, I do believe the mosquitoes aren't out tonight in full force, how 'bout you?"

"Why yes Nancy, between the fan, the citronella candles, and the fog machine that came through last night, I think we can safely say the mosquitoes are in hidin'."

"What a fine night it is, Betty Lou. Why, Mr. Johnson is over there mowin' his grass again, and I do believe he's taken his shirt off!"

"Hush, Nancy, you know he only does that because he wants to give all us little old ladies a thrill. Too bad no one has the heart to tell him it quit being a thrill about 40 pounds ago."

"You are so right Betty Lou, so right."

"As always Nancy, as always..."

So, here I sit in my sweatshirt and sweatpants, with the heater blasting and drinking hot tea, hoping against hope that spring will rear it's beautiful, delicate head soon. I want to see things blooming; I want to smell fresh grass clippings! I want to sit on a porch with a glass of iced tea and listen to the crickets and cicadas, and hear children laughing -- down the street, of course -- and sleep with the windows open!

I want to unthaw these old bones in warm sunshine along the Gulf Coast, sitting on white sand beaches and smelling the salt air. I NEED to win the Lottery so I can buy this house that I keep lusting over online, near the beach on Pensacola Bay. And yes, I know the skin cancer demons will probably some day get me, but I desperately need a little tan to make me feel better, because we all know that burned fat is much more attractive than pasty, white fat. Guess it's safe to say that this Child of the South wants her sunshine! Oh sure, come late July and August, I'll be praying for some relief, maybe a temp below 80 degrees and a nice, cool breeze from somewhere.

But for now, I'd even welcome watching Mr. Johnson cut his grass -- sans shirt and plus the 40 pounds -- as long as it means the freeze is over!