Winter Has Made Me Crotchety

Funny thing: I had to look up the word crotchety to make sure I was using it correctly. I've used it for years to describe various things.

My American history teacher in high school who lived with eight cats. She lived right across the street from the school and still drove to school every single day. She was crotchety.

My daddy when he said I couldn't stay out later than midnight because only crazy people are out after midnight which was exactly why I wanted to stay out after midnight. He was crotchety.

My neighbor two doors down  would sit at the edge of her front flower bed and pick a flower for me. Her husband would come from their house and "That's enough of that. Get in here." And she would. Her husband was crotchety.

So, I looked up crotchety and here's what I found.

bad tempered; irritable; grumpy; grouchy; short-tempered; testy; ill-tempered; ill-humored; cross; peevish; crabby; cranky; prickly; touchy; snappish; cross-grained; old

Old? Really? But you know what? I'll own it. This winter weather is making me crotchety. All of the words previously mentioned? I'm becoming.

I hear ya, I hear ya. You're saying but it's winter. This is winter weather. And that's the truth. This is winter ... but not the winter I'm used to in Oklahoma.

Go home winter, you're drunk.

Source

The winter I'm used to in Oklahoma is snowy, grey and icky one day and seventy degrees and sunny the next. Sure, I'll gripe about that too. The traditional Oklahoma winter will bring us three or four snow days--but not in a row. It will bring us snow, rain, thunder, earthquakes, sleet and a sunburn--all in one week.

I feel it in my bones, literally. My knees ache, my shoulder throbs. I bundle up in layers just to sit in my own house and watch TV. I say, "Ohmygoodness! It's so cold" everytime--Every. Single. Time.--I go outside.

I've even taken to balling my hand into a fist and shaking it wildly in the air at the meteorologist every time he says the words winter, wintery, polar vortex, snow or ice. Sometimes I even mutter, "Damn kids!"

So, until I get my bi-polar, fickle, completely all over the weather map Oklahoma winter back, I'm going to continue to be crotchety. And if you say anything about my complaining, I will shake my fist at you too.

"Look For The Helpers"

When the Newtown tragedy and the Boston bombing occurred, to comfort us as a nation, were reminded of a Mr. Rogers quote in which he remembers his mother calming his childhood fears by saying, "Look for the helpers." What a great sentiment, right?

When we need it, there are people who are willing and able to help us. That's one of the beautiful things about humanity: For the most part, we like each other.

With the tornadic events of the week in my beautiful home state of Oklahoma, I'm seeing the helpers. Not only am I seeing them, but I'm getting to be a part of the help.

As an administrator of Oklahoma Women Bloggers, I've been working with several groups organizing relief efforts for Oklahoma. As a teacher, this is my last week of school and, I think because life goes on, I'm feeling really, really guilty about letting it go on knowing that there are families whose lives will be forever changed because of this. So, I look for the helpers.

Happy First is an Oklahoma company. They were not directly effected by the tornados, but they want to directly effect those who were. They've designed this cute shirt (and their first shirt for men as well!) along with a cap and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross, designated for Oklahoma Relief.

If this is the way you can be a helper, by all means, be a helper.

Listen to ... ME!

Once upon a time I crashed an application party and found myself as the co-producer of the Listen To Your Mother show in Oklahoma City. Cool thing is that submissions are OPEN!!  You've been reading me for years--now I wanna read YOU. So, go ... get the deets ... submit. You know you want to.

Listen To Your Mother - Shine all over Oklahoma

Last April, I got to shine. I was in a little show called Listen To Your Mother in Northwest Arkansas. I shared the stage with thirteen other amazing women who told their stories of motherhood. Some made ya think. Some made ya cry (big ugly hiccuping cries). Some made ya laugh. I hope I made ya laugh. The thing that struck me most, however, was the friendships I made with my castmates. I love them all dearly.