Last updated on November 26, 2023
Winter is a topic I post on, well, every winter. It is a tough time of year for me, but at least it makes spring and summer all the better.
Though I don’t like winter, the reality is I also miss our neighborhood from Minnesota and the trips into Wisconsin. Sure, winter is lousy, but where it was harshest was also where we made good friends. Plus, you can (generally) warm a house and bundle up with a fire, tea, and books.
We have lived in Minnesota and Pennsylvania since the summer of 2006. As Central California natives, we didn’t fully appreciate what winter means.
Most importantly, snow and ice mean slipping, and I do slip. I slipped yesterday clearing snow from our driveway. It doesn’t help that the driveway is a steep slope, but I’ve managed to slip on flat-ish ground often enough, too. (It should be noted that flat in most places is not the same as flat in Central California. Flat means rolling hills, apparently.) Slipping, I’ve managed to pull muscles, break bones, crack ribs, and bruise just about everything.
After slipping, there’s the dry skin. The dry air causes the skin on my knuckles to crack and bleed. My fingers are as rough as sandpaper. No amount of lotion seems to help. Plus, I dislike the sensation of oils and lotions on my skin.
Layering is uncomfortable. I overheat under the layers. Plus, I hate how some fabrics feel. Finding comfortable gloves is a challenge, since I dislike seams and other irregularities. Nice, comfortable gloves aren’t cheap.
Winter is hard on my back, knees, and fingers. They all ache. I drink tea, take warm baths, and try to exercise to reduce the pain. Heating pads also help. My wife and I bought some really great reusable gel pads that heat chemically. You snap a metal disk inside and a reaction causes the liquid to warm. These are a great invention and wonderful for my aches and pains.
My eyes suffer from dryness in any weather. I use a lot of eye drops, especially if I have to be outdoors. In Minnesota, the cold, dry, wind caused my eyes to tear. Base membrane dystrophy and epithelial layer separation hurts. A lot. Corneal abrasions were the most severe pain I’ve experienced and something I do fear in the winter. My vision can’t be restored to 20/20 and that bothers me.
I might not like the challenges of winter, but heat isn’t exactly easy on me either. So, it’s a matter of learning to adapt. You have to plan for winter and plan for summer. That’s not easy for someone with sensory issues, but it is possible.
Driving, however, is not dangerous in summer. Not like winter! We both managed minor accidents in the Jeep on ice. No amount of experience prepares you for ice — which causes me some anxiety.