Ahhh... Fresh Air

Friday was a happy, happy day. Even though it was the night my migraines started, it was still monumentally positive in my book.

Why, you ask?

Because for the first time in 8 months I sat with my door wide open and breathed in fresh air without any sort of negative effects. Well, other than the fact that it got really cold. :)

But my skin didn't itch, my ears and throat didn't hurt, my lungs didn't inflame and my breathing stayed normal. And I remembered how amazing it feels to breathe fresh air, hear birds chirping despite the snow and cold, and feel the tingle of cool air on skin that hasn't felt it in way too long.

I also got to remember what Riley smells like when fresh air hits his fur... because he was just as happy to be cold and sit in front of an open window as I was.

Obviously, with temperatures as cold as -30 degrees, whatever was in the air was killed off some time ago... but not even I am so desperate to breathe fresh air that I would sit in a house exposed to -30 degree temperatures! Even if I was, the problem is that the screen door, which is the only thing keeping Riley from running free into the icy mess of a parking lot, was frozen open. So on Friday, when it got up to a balmy 39 degrees here in Iowa, the screen door unfroze and slid closed with ease... and my pup was the first one in line to let me know about this exciting development.

 "Do you see it? Do you feel it? The outside is still there!!!"

 s-t-r-e-t-c-h     "Man, a dog could get used to this..."

"Do I see a little crack of light? Could it get me outside?"

"Maybe if I shove my nose in there far enough
I could squeeze through somehow..."  

It actually got up to 50 degrees here on Monday and will be getting colder later in the week... it's also rained a little, and all of these changes in the weather that should have me sitting in front of that open window have instead left me not feeling so stellar. But even if I don't get to enjoy the 50 degree reprieve, I'm going to be more than happy to bundle up and leave my door open when the stable, colder air comes back. Because I don't know what spring will bring for me.

My hope is that whatever made my lungs react so badly last year will not come back when the thaw happens. My dream is to spend every day sitting on my patio reading a book with a happy pup curled up next to me. Riley's dream probably involves the family of wrens that take up residence in my bird house, since it gives him something to guard me against... to each their own.

But regardless of what happens this spring, I am savoring every moment of cold, crisp, winter air.

And I'm trying to learn how to take deep breaths again.

***** ***** *****

Reminder: Don't forget about the canvas giveaway tomorrow!