Red and Gold: giveaway

I’ve only lived in two regions in my life, the Mid-Atlantic and New England. This is the time of year when the differences stand out most strongly to me.

And the big deference to me isn’t the temperature - it is the color pallets. Today is the first day that I truly noticed the winter colors of the Mid-Atlantic: red and gold.

The bittersweet vine with the red berries in yellow cases. Holly berries with the trees surrounded with dried grasses standing starkly. The gentle whisper of wind through the grasses. 

It is lovely in the way that New England is in the fall with all her splendid trees blazing.

New England is all layered browns and grays. The sea is a flat green gray, crashing against gray stone. The soil is muted brown. The trees stand brown and leafless. The perfect muted winter palate.

Sometimes, here in Delaware, I forget it is winter because the colors are to vivid, to saturated. 

I don’t write much in this season and I don’t write much about this season either. But last year I did write a Christmas story set in the greater Boston area. I’ve never managed a Christmas story set in Delaware. I think the bright palate of our winter makes it hard for me to focus and think of Christmas.

 

              Rejoice:A Burden

 

I will be giving away 2 copies of my Christmas story to commenters!

Where is Winter?

I live in Rhode Island, and it's supposed to be winter here. I went for a walk with my dog yesterday wearing a fleece coat. No hat, no gloves, no scarf. Not an icy patch to be seen. Not a single snowflake. No arctic wind whipping at my cheeks. I'm not complaining. I'm just saying...it's kind of weird.

When you grow up in New England, you expect January to be white and wicked. Usually, by this point, you would have shoveled your driveway at least six times, hurt your back doing so about three times, and not be able to see a damn thing over the snow piles as you try to navigate your white-washed car out of the driveway. You would have broken in your snowboots, busted an ice scraper or two, built ten snowmen, gone ice skating, sledding, snowshoeing. You would have slipped fourteen times on your front walkway as you made the treacherous journey from your front door to the mailbox. School would have been cancelled at least twice or been delayed an hour or dismissed early. Something.

You wouldn't be driving with your window down. Riding your bike would seem ridiculous because of all the sand on the roadways. Kids would not be playing basketball in the street. I mean, I actually saw a guy grilling steaks on his deck as if it were a summer day! Smelled damn good, but you're supposed to be eating chicken soup in the dead of winter, right?

Again--and let me stress this--I'm NOT complaining. I'm digging this new "tropical" Rhode Island. Forty and fifty degree temperatures in January are like a dream come true to me. While I don't mind the cold and I love the beauty of a fresh snowfall, I'm deathly afraid of driving in the white stuff. Deathly. Nice, dry, non-slippery roadways are a gift and I'll take as many days of this as I can get.

But still...there's a little voice in the back of my mind that's saying, "This isn't right. What's happening to the planet? Exactly how much trouble are we in?" Anyone else worried?

If you live in an area that's supposed to be buried under snow, but isn't, you can download ALASKA HEART to get a dose of winter fun. I'm pretty sure it'll warm you up more than cool you off though. ;)

What's your favorite winter activity?

Christine

http://www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com/