On Bed Clothes, Gardening, and Voting

Dear Blog Reader.

I hope that this finds you doing well. Overall, I am doing well. Winter continues to hold on. This in spite of the fact that we have passed the Vernal Equinox. It is a little tough to have to look at more than 12 hours of cold and windy weather on the outside. The winter wood pile continues to dwindle. I am thankful that the Sharritt's maintained the flannel sheets on the bed. Those 4 days in March made it tempting to run to the cool light embrace of those cotton sheets. You thought that you had it made didn't you. Those rigid unbending traditionalists are roasting in their beds and you were cool as a cucumber between your 1000 count Egyptian Cotten sheets.

Some people ask "Do you really sleep better on $175 sheets? Is it worth it?" Recent scientific studies show that you really do sleep better on $175 sheets when compared to $25 sheets from Walmart. The scientists studying 10 subjects found unequivocally that those sleeping on $175 sheets slept better, tossed and turned less, woke more refreshed and with significantly less lower back discomfort than their $25 counterparts. The reason? Scientists hypothesize that when you pay $175 for a set of sheets, your wallet is significantly thinner allowing for better lumbar alignment and hence a better nights sleep.

No, you linen sheet lovers thought that you had pulled one over on the flannel sheet traditionalists. Look who's laughing now. It certainly isn't you. No you can't laugh because your teeth are chattering so loudly as your body tries to generate enough core heat to keep you from slipping into hypothermia.

Now it is a week later. My best plans for another timely and cogent blog were thwarted by the passage of time and the turning of seasons. I should have stayed with it. I should have kept writing long into the night. I quit. I went to bed. Now, I am writing about a lingering winter in 75 degree sunny delight.

A week has passed. The season has shifted for a while. Now, you good sleeping Egyptian Cotten cool cats have the upper hand. Your teeth have unclenched. You are free to ridicule the bitter clingers. You are free to go to the local garden shop and stock up on your July ripening tomato plants. I am free to listen to the voice in my head "cold weather can still hit." I am free to look at the Old Farmer's Almanac. It says that the frost free date is May 15th. I am free to remember watching that one really late frost on May 25th that stunned or killed thousands of acres of germinated corn. I am free to remember sitting in the grandstands for Indy 500 qualifications on May 12th 1973 and watching snow flurries just before practice started. I am free to chuckle just a little when that seasoned citizen plunks down his $10 for 5 tomato plants on April 16th.

Yes, I must confess to a bit of hopeful day dreaming; seeing in my mind's eye, this kindly gentleman waking up cold under his Egyptian Cotton, running to the garden to find a blackened, wilted, frosted tomato plant. I also get a bit of self satisfaction knowing (hoping) that he will spend a total of $20 for his 5 viable tomato plants. All the while, I imagine that he is hoping (knowing) that he will be eating July 4th tomatoes while I say that my cabbage in high in antioxidants and if I shred it up and mix it with kale and brussels sprouts I will never die because will be eating a super food. I will just wish that I were dead because I am eating this crap instead of a fresh BLT.

The big questions remain. How long can I hold out and keep the flannel faith? How long can I delude myself and believe that this year's apple crop is dependent on my stubborn adherence the words of Grandma. I want to be right. You tomato killing, Egyptian Cotton sleeping dreamers want to be right too. It is good to remember that our rightness will depend on whether the wind blows out of the North or from the South and has little to do with the cogency of our arguments.

It strikes me that bed clothes, gardening and electing are a bit similar. People of dissimilar outlooks are thrown together, doing the best their temperaments will permit. We cast our votes to the wind in the hope that we are right or at least you are proven wrong.

Take care

Roger