10 Things NOT to Hate About Winter

I am no fan of winter. So, why do I live in a place where "winter" lasts a good six months - and sometimes more in a rough year? It's because summers in North Dakota are my idea of heaven on earth. It's just too bad we have to go through hell to get there.

But, I will grant you that winter isn't ALL bad. (Just mostly) In the spirit of positive thinking, here are my top 10 things to not hate about winter.

1/ Garbage doesn't stink if you forget to take it to the curb on garbage day.

The Blizzard of '66
North Dakota

How can it when it's 10 below in the garage? I know that sounds snippy, but this really is my favorite thing. I can even clean out the fridge with no regard to what I'm tossing.

2/ The light doesn't shine in your eyes when you're trying to sleep in. Of course, it's easy to oversleep when dawn comes well after the kids need to be at school.

3/ Allergies tend to be less of a problem. Unless, of course, you're allergic to things like dust mites, mold, and cat hair. Then, being closed up in a stuffy room with two feline "muses" is probably not that good for you.

4/ I can run all my errands without fear of my groceries melting. No snide comments here. This really is one of my favorite things.

5/ No need to mow the lawn! Sort of a good thing, except this gets replaced by the need to shovel the driveway. Right about now, I'd give anything to spend an hour mowing a nice, green lawn.

6/ I can fantasize about the garden I'm going to have. I have the world's

Sunflowers in Fargo
These are the one thing I can grow. In fact,
they grow by themselves. Which leads me to
believe they are probably weeds at heart.

brownest thumb. It's probably not all my fault since I live in a place where the growing season is about 3 months long. Either way, my garden never quite lives up to expectations. Alas, there's always next year.

7/ No weeds to worry about. Again, this is all good. There's nothing worse than weeding a garden only to discover you have no flowers underneath.

8/  Winter clothes. I know some of you know what I'm talking about here!

9/ Cooking is easier. I hate using the oven in the summer because it heats up the house. In the winter, I can stick something low-maintenance like a roast in the oven and just let it go. Or, I could just open up a can of soup and be done with it!

10/ I have the house to myself. Those of you who have kids and work at home know what I'm talking about here, too.