winter wonderland

It's a picture-perfect winter world outside today, everything covered in a layer of fresh snow that fell during the night, silently. Naomi looked out the window and was, of course, ecstatic. "Mommy, Mommy! Look it's snowing! Mommy, get up!" I am not, however, a winter person. I lived overseas for several years in several places, all of which had no, or very limited amounts of, snow. I often wonder why it is I came back to Canada 11 years ago, and I often regret it, especially this time of year. I still don't want to stay here for life, it's too damn cold. I am a cold-blooded person, my hands and feet are freezing most of the year, like a lizard's. I am happiest barefoot (and Michael is all for having me barefoot and pregnant again, he jokes. I was so happy when I was pregnant, huge and happy. I thought it was hilarious to be 60 lbs heavier. Not so funny now, when I still haven't lost it all 4 years later...). But I need socks from late August until June. My feet are very accurate gauges for the outdoor temperature. I hate sleeping in socks, I wish I could wear sandals all year long. I am just a little bit SAD. I used to be much worse.

But Naomi helps bring some joy to the season I would not otherwise feel. She's right, it is pretty outside. But luckily her dad took her out to play, while I can remain my indoor self. It rather worries some people that left to my own devices I can stay indoors for days on end without even really noticing. She will go out and make snowangels gleefully, eat handfuls of snow, and eventually come in with cherry-red cheeks. I'll be here, huddled by my space-heater at the computer.

Anyone out there who has travel tales from Nepal, please share! We are still looking for contacts in the Pokhara region, with the university or any hospital. I am planning to do community health research while we are there, and I hope to find support over there to this end. If we can't link up with anyone suitable in Pokhara, perhaps we will stay closer to Kathmandu after all - Pokhara just sounds so beautiful, although we will visit both while we are there. Naomi and I read our National Geographic magazines together now, and have been looking at pictures of elephants in Chitwan National Park. I told her mommy and daddy rode elephants in Thailand, now she wants a try.