Should I Stay or Should I Go? by Margaret Ullrich

We’ve been living in Winnipeg for 39 years!

Some good years, some bad years, some so-so years.

We’ve also survived 39 Winnipeg summers and winters.

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

This February will probably have a mean temperature around -20 C.

We’ve actually seen worse.

In 1979 February had an average temperature of -22.0 C.

We also had a mean temperature of -19.4 C in February, 2003.

That was 24 years later, but just eleven years ago… hmmm.

The projected winter average for 2013 - 14 is -20.2 C.

I almost said this has been the coldest winter we’ve ever seen in Winnipeg.

Nope.  Winter in our first house in Winnipeg, in 1978 - 79, was colder at -20.8 C.

Before that, the coldest winter was 29 years earlier, in 1949 - 50 at -19.8 C.

Crap… the gaps between nasty winters ARE getting shorter.

Some native Winnipeggers like to brag about surviving harsh winters.

Not me.  I’m not a native and I’m all wintered out.

Moving to Winnipeg in 1975 seemed like a good idea at the time.

Last year I posted about when we moved to Winnipeg from Surrey, British Columbia.

All it took was four fun-filled days:

• Surrey to Hope to Osoyoos to Trail
• Trail to Crowsnest Pass to Lethbridge, Alberta
• Lethbridge to Medicine Hat to Moose Jaw to Regina
• Regina to Qu'Appelle to Moosomin to Brandon to Portage la Prairie to Winnipeg

Last year I also wrote about our first apartment in Winnipeg.

It was a two room walk up, with a shared bathroom.

Hard to believe it held everything we owned.

Still, it was once our home, as was our apartment in Surrey.

In life, a person will come and go from many homes. We may leave a house, a town, a room, but that does not mean those places leave us. Once entered, we never entirely depart the homes we make for ourselves in the world. They follow us, like shadows, until we come upon them again, waiting for us in the mist. 

Ari Berk, Death Watch 

As it’s been too cold to do much walking about, I’ve been tossing out stuff.

Another whole cart of recyclables is ready to go next week.

Let’s just say I’ve still got that feng shui fever.

At this rate, I’ll be down to just enough stuff for another two room apartment.

But, if the winters keep getting colder, I wonder if that apartment will be in Winnipeg.

About tonight’s new moon in Pisces...
According to the folks at astrology.com:
You may not know if you're coming or going as a new lunar phase begins in the midst of several planets changing direction. 

Should you invest in your goals? Yes! 

Should you expect results right away? No! 

Your best course of action is to simplify your schedule for the next couple of weeks. Listen to music, walk in nature, or write in your journal. 

Also… tonight Mercury turns direct
Now it's time to incorporate everything you've learned this month! 

Hopefully you've informed yourself of all your options. 

Ordinarily, this would be an ideal time to get your revamped ideas out into the world, but since Mars turns retrograde on March 1, it will be difficult to get your plans in motion now. 

Yeah, right, walk in nature… When skin freezes in 2 minutes?  I don’t think so.

Maybe I’ll just toss out some more stuff.

Less stuff would make it easier to move to someplace warmer.

Get my plans in motion.  Sure…  If I had a plan.