Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Warm Thoughts, Warm Memories

I love thick socks, electric blankets, soft down comforters and big hooded sweatshirts. I love flannel sheets, heaters and layering my clothes. I love snuggling down in bed and pulling the blankets over my head because it is the only way to stay warm. I love when it is so cold outside that I can see my breath in the air. I love rain, hail, thunder and lightening.

I love being warm when the air is cold.

When I was young and I would get sick, my mom would sit by the fireplace with me in the middle of the night and feed me saltine crackers and 7-up until I felt better and could go back to bed. I can still remember how safe and warm I felt on those nights (I choose to ignore the memories of being sick) and I can still picture the fireplace in my mind.

When I was young and it was really cold in the house, my favorite thing to do was take my blanket to the nearest floor heater and curl up next to it. I would lay next to the heater and tuck the blanket in around me so that the heater would blow hot air into the blanket blowing it up like a balloon. The blanket would hold all the hot air in and I would fall asleep there, all warm and cozy. Sometimes I still wish that I could do that, but houses don't seem to have floor heaters anymore.

I love being warm when the air is cold, it is so much better than being warm because the air is hot.

I head back to Thailand in a week and I am going to miss the cold.