Longpoint Beach

Martha’s Vineyard

June 2010

The weather has been down right bi-polar lately.  67 degrees yesterday. 37 degrees today.  I don’t know when to bundle up and when to strip down. Most days I look like a homeless person, just wearing all my layers in case of a shift in the weather.  Indoors or outdoors, my hands are constantly cold. The upside to that, though,  is the girls have finally started dressing themselves to avoid my frozen fingers.  

I was born in Massachusetts where white Christmases are often preceded by white Halloweens.  I spent my formative years in New Jersey, which has seen it’s fair share of cold weather as of late.  Having lived in Virginia for the other half of my life, I’ve totally lost that Yankee edge.  Anything below 65 degrees?  Um, where’s my jacket?  And could you pass me my scarf? 

It’s no surprise that when the weather channel calls for low temps, I turn up thermostat. I’m starting to think it’s an exercise in futility because the house never feels like it’s warming up.  It’s that thing — psychosomatic — I turn up the thermostat and trick myself into believing I’m getting warmer.    As a result,  I forget to turn it down by the time I go to bed. We’ve got radiator heat, which is hot like the 7th circle of Hades once it gets cooking.  My side of the bed is on the radiator side and along about 2 in the morning, I am sweating like a hooker in church! God forbid we open a window; that’s the express lane to sore throats, stuffed noses and all matter of hacking coughs.  

The next day, it’s a balmy 60 plus degrees.  The neighbors and kids are out in flip-flops and tank tops.  Even nature is fooled into thinking warmth is abundant and long lasting.  Daffodils and crocuses start to sprout, the grass greens up and then the sun goes down, taking heat with it. 

I am so ready for a steady bout of spring like weather.  Even if it’s overcast, even if it’s drizzling a bit, I’ll take it.  Until then, I’ll stick my hands in my armpits for warmth, re-wrap my scarf around my neck and wish myself back to the hot, hot sand on Longpoint Beach.