The Islands are Calling

One of the reasons I have stayed in the Deep South all these years (the top reason has been my wonderful friends) has been the climate – and I’m not referring to the political one. I do not handle the cold well. I went to college in upstate New York for reasons I still cannot fathom since winter meant snow up to my chin, howling winds, and along with my day classes there were a few night classes when I had to wait for a bus to take us back to the dorms when within a few minutes I could no longer move my lips or crack a smile. As soon as I graduated, I set out for warmer climes. After watching the Rose Bowl Parade every year, seeing everyone in shorts and T-shirts, I began to wonder what I was doing in the frozen tundra and I decided to make Los Angeles my home. It was a perfect move for me back then as I felt my heart and soul finally defrost. And to top it off, one year, one of my best friends and I actually went to the Rose Bowl Parade, camping out all night in our folding chairs on the sidewalk on the parade route, and it was the thrill of a lifetime. And no winter coats were necessary.

So waking up this morning to temperatures barely in the 30s (I know that many other places in the country would be thrilled with those temps, but again, this is the Deep South where the homes are barely insulated and no one knows how to drive if there’s any frozen precipitation) with dire predictions that over the next few weeks the temperature will drop into the 20s and then the teens and possibly single digits, a drumbeat of panic began to sound! Will I need to move even further south soon?

When I can’t feel my fingers and I can’t feel my toes, that’s when the call of any tropical island reaches out to me. Even my puppies found it too cold to frolic this morning when we were outside. (And as a side note, when I say puppies, these are two senior dogs that I rescued over the past two years, but they will always be puppies to me.) When I was working in the kitchen I turned around and found them snuggled on the same mat right next to my chair. There are about six mats and eight dog beds throughout the house for two dogs so that we’re always prepared for a puppy party, so it was unusual for them both to be snuggling on the same mat. I don’t know whether it was love or shared body heat. But either way, it was adorable. If there had been enough room, I would have joined them.

I hope you all stay warm and always have someone (including a pet) to snuggle with to keep you warm. I will try to remember this next time I’m about to complain about the unbearable heat in the dog days of summer when it’s over 100 degrees every day. Right now, the islands are calling.

Copyright Nancy Machlis Rechtman, all rights reserved