GA_041918

24 | April 19, 2018 | The glencoe anchor Sound off
glencoeanchor.com
City Girl Confessions
Over-the-top weather yields over-the-top emotion
Kelly Anderson
Contributing Columnist
Glencoe resident
I
could easily get you
to chuckle just by
having you glimpse at
the chaos in my foyer.
Picture a long line of
snow boots, galoshes,
hats (both baseball and
knit), puffer coats, rain
slickers, running shoes,
umbrellas and an astounding
number of
gloves. This area of my
home has been consumed
by all of Mother Nature’s
tricks. She can’t seem
to decide what season is
next for us.
This prolonged winter
has morphed into a prolonged
grouchy phase for
me. I’m completely over
my cold weather gear
— I loathe pulling on
the same down coat, the
same calf-high boots and
the same woolly sweaters.
I’ve been donning
them daily since October.
These outfits have repeated
themselves to the
point of insanity.
My house is also a
prisoner to these chilly
temps. My holiday lights?
They’re still nestled into
the bushes. It’s been too
snowy, icy, rainy, awful
to pry them out of there.
My patio furniture? All
the chairs, tables and
buckets of sidewalk chalk
are still neatly tucked
away in storage in my
basement. My garage is
home to snow shovels,
a mountain-sized bag
of salt, hockey skates
and sleds that just seem
to stare at us and say,
“April? What’s up with
that?”
My grouchy funk was
continuing on its miserable
way until something
unusual caught my eye.
There was a collection of
photographs taken on the
day of the Chicago Cubs
home opener at Wrigley
Field. In true Midwestern
weather form, a few
inches of snow had fallen
and covered the baseball
diamond in a blanket of
white. But in true, stayhopeful-stay-optimistic
form, Cubs players had
taken to the field to
playfully toss snowballs,
snap photos and marvel
with childlike wonder. In
glancing at these photos,
I couldn’t help but smile.
The weather was ridiculous.
But isn’t that the
whole point? Sometimes
life is ridiculous. Sometimes
it snows in April.
Sometimes baseball
becomes a winter sport.
Those photos would have
told a completely different
story if the players
sat in the locker room
being grouchy. It was a
subtle reminder for me to
lighten up and work with
what I’m given ... even if
it’s ridiculous.
But the story doesn’t
quite end there. You see,
the White Sox also had
a home opener that same
day ... and played. As my
son and I watched their
flurry-filled game on TV;
we laughed and marveled,
much like the Cubs players
had done. It was fascinating
and comical to see
a baseball game covered
in snowflakes (a memory
I won’t soon forget) but
it was more so a bright
moment in what has been
a long winter season.
While I admire the
grit of the White Sox for
moving ahead with their
game, I also completely
understood why the Cubs
postponed. Hey, sometimes
snow can make
people really grouchy.
I’ll confess, I can let
go of a messy foyer,
an empty yard and the
monotony of winter wear.
But I will work extra hard
to let go of this winter
grouchiness. I will aim to
savor the moments and
remember to smile and
play in the snow — even
when it’s out of season
and unexpected.
Kelly Q. Anderson is a writer,
photographer and former
Chicagoan. She pens blogs
and books from her home in
Glencoe, which she shares
with her husband, son,
daughter and Boston terrier.
First Floor Master | 1/3 Sold
VOLTZ & WAUKEGAN | NORTHBROOK
AnetsWoods.com 847.461.9948