Yesterday I had a concert at noon, but I had to leave early so I didn’t get time to write. We played at Hyannis Open Street outside in front of the Kennedy Museum. It was cold, especially when the wind blew. I had thought about staying home, cozy and warm, but I decided to go anyway. I dressed warmly, but my hands got cold. The crowd was a good one. They clapped and sang along at times. That made it all worth while.

Today is quite sunny but only 57°, the high for the day. My recognition of high has changed as the seasons have changed. This time of year I’ll take anything 55° and higher so today is a lovely day. Nala finds the sun. She has a sunny spot in the yard and lies stretched on grass where she naps. Dogs know how to be cozy and comfortable.

When I was a kid, the weather didn’t matter. I had to walk to school regardless. Part of my walk was by a field where the wind blasted across. Sometimes we walked backwards on the sidewalk by the field because the wind was so strong our eyes would water and our coats would flap. I could feel the chill. I could even feel the wind blowing up the arms of my coat. In the heaviest wind I thought I would fly.

The wind in Ghana came during the harmattan. It started in November or December when dusty, dry winds came down from the Sahara. The sun was vague, obscured by the dust. The air looked foggy. The days were hot while the nights were cold. The temperature could be 90’s or higher during the day and 50’s at night. I loved those nights. I’d lie snuggled under a scratchy wool blanket I had bought in the market. I still have it. The blanket is draped over a chair in my living room. The dryness wreaked havoc on my body. The heels of my feet dried and cracked so I had to walk on my tiptoes until my heels got hard. My lips too cracked. I remember my students in the mornings wore layers against the cold. I was just fine. I relished the chill.

The older I get the less I tolerate the cold, but I haven’t yet had to drag out my winter coat. It sits in the closet looking almost brand new. I have a wonderfully warm, thick sweater which is enough. I keep a blanket on my bed and am warmed by the heat of two dogs sleeping next to me or at my feet. During the day I wear my flannel pants, a t-shirt and a sweatshirt and either slipper or heavy socks on my feet. I stay wonderfully warm.

I have a filled dance card this week, all uke as usual. I have three concerts, my practice and my lesson. Today is a free day, but I have a few chores, and I want to try to bake some bread. I’m out of it, and I don’t want to get dressed and go out just for bread. I’m hoping for the best.

The morning is ugly, pretty much the same as yesterday’s morning, dark and uninviting. It is raining and only 47°. The tree outside my den window has more colored leaves and more bare branches. The wind is pretty strong. Old Man Winter is knocking at the door. He is getting more insistent.

When I was a kid, I dreaded the change from fall to winter. Out came the heavy coat, the knee socks, my mittens and the hat my mother demanded I wear. She always said we lost most of our body heat through our heads. I hated wearing a hat, but I believed my mother. Much later, I found out it is a myth, an old wives’ tale, one I’m sure my mother believed. It probably came from her mother and her mother’s mother and all the way back from there. I have hats stored in a basket underneath my coat rack, but I seldom wear them. One of them, a knitted hat with a pompom, I have had since high school.

I love mittens. I have several pairs. They keep my hands warmer than gloves do, but I do keep some gloves in the car, sort of as an emergency supply. I have two pairs of favorite mittens, both were knitted by a friend many years ago. I remember when I was a kid, my mittens would get heavy with frozen snow. The bottoms sort of hung. I’d shake the mittens and ice would fly. Once I was inside the house for good, my mittens went on the top of the radiator to dry. You could sometimes see a bit of smoke from the radiator heat melting the snow. I loved those radiators. They made the best sounds, gurgling and hissing. I’d sit in front of one and put my feet under it to get warm.

At school, I’d put my mittens up my sleeves so I wouldn’t lose them, but I remember sometimes I’d have an odd pair of two different mittens because one of each pair had gone astray.

Today is a nothing day. I have no lists and an empty dance card. I vacuumed yesterday. I will probably water my plants today. That is all the energy I intend to expend.