When Will It End???

I know winter is supposed to be, well, wintry but this winter has been snowy, icy, super-cold and seemingly never-ending. As I walked through a slushy mess that had the consistency of melted lemon ice on the streets of Carroll Gardens yesterday, I did a mental countdown to spring. And when I entered Room 211 at PS 58 where I volunteer once a week, I found that the kids were doing the same thing. We couldn’t agree on exactly how many days but we are hoping that spring will turn up eventually. When exactly that will be is debatable.

I am longing for those days of old when weather was less extreme; the days when we had snow a couple of times a year and it was significant enough to close everything down so I could spend the day watching weather coverage on NY1, gazing repeatedly out the window at the beauty of the snow, and cooking. A typical snow day would start with me rising early, donning comfy, fleecy clothing, making a lumberjack breakfast followed by a hearty lunch and a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dinner like chili, stew or a nice baked macaroni. And, of course, some hot chocolate for anybody who was doing the shoveling. This year we’ve gotten a few inches here, a few inches there, all followed up by that dreaded layer of ice so that very little has melted and we now have a substantial accumulation. I’m sure the initial snowfall we had from the fizzled “epic proportions” storm is still sitting frozen solid beneath the pile of snow on the curb in front of my house. With the frequency of “severe weather alerts” this year, I can’t even muster up any urgency to run out for the bread and milk anymore.

Two new families recently moved in next door. One of the young moms said she feels the weather has been kind of a Brooklyn hazing for her, what with the countless Sunday into Monday storms, and the uncertainty of garbage pick-up, recycling, alternate side of the street rules, etc. The other family is from France and they have two little boys who were really into shoveling. As soon as the snow hit the ground, they were out there with their shovel but I think even they have had enough. I keep trying to reassure them that springtime in Carroll Gardens is beautiful.

I know I shouldn’t be complaining. This is nothing compared to what the people of Boston have had to endure. We actually went to Boston during winter recess to visit a couple of colleges with my younger son. My family tends to make trips that take us from cold to colder and hot to hotter. The Boston trip entailed endless delays, cancelled trains (thank goodness we didn’t drive because I don’t know where we would have put the car), and treacherous trekking on some streets that had only single file paths shoveled with the scariest looking icicles hanging off buildings on one side and huge mountains of snow on the other side. There were entire cars and garbage pails buried. Coming back to Brooklyn was a distinct pleasure.

Chinese New Year is typically a harbinger of spring and usually a perfect antidote for the winter doldrums for me, but not so much this year. This year it fell on February 19th and the celebration lasts for two weeks. Unfortunately, with another storm always coming around the bend, we have yet to get the family together to celebrate properly. We happened upon a Lion Dance on Mott Street on New Year’s Day (February 19th) and it was so frigid that there was just a handful of people around which is a rarity for Chinatown. During Chinese New Year, many people decorate their homes with cut flowers and flowering branches and my dear friend, Maria, did buy me a gorgeous orchid plant that has provided me with a much needed indoor pick-me-up.

Another antidote I’ve discovered is a delightful little book of poems written by my friend and Carroll Gardens native, Vito Gentile, and aptly entitled Fifty Poems About Spring. I brought it along for the train ride to Boston and it was just the ticket to help me see past all that snowy scenery into a hopefully warmer, sunny, budding spring. Vito told me that he’s finding it hard to compose his annual springtime poem this year but I’m sure he will find the right inspiration soon. Hang in there, readers, as of today, it’s only 15 days ‘til spring, but who‘s counting?

Fifty Poems About Spring is available on Amazon.com and it is the perfect getting-in-the-mood for springtime read.