I wore one of my grandson’s outgrown fiber-filled jackets with a hood this morning to take Alison to work. It is not one of the sleek ones; it is a like wearing a nylon comforter, the material consisting of stitched squares with fiber puffing them out so I look like a three-dimensional checkerboard – only all the squares are red. The hood is big and pushes in to grab my head as well as puffing out to keep the cold at a distance. I felt like an Eskimo – a noticeable, but cozy Eskimo.

I think I am going to be wearing this coat for a while. My usual coat is my old faithful Lands End early thinsulate that is really adaptable to temperatures. But, when the wind chill is -15, the big other one is just, well, more comforting.

Last evening, when I went to the grocery store, I found myself driving home with my hands pulled up into my sleeves – the steering wheel was cold all the way through. I went out in the cold because it was the last day of a big Stouffer and Red Baron sale and there was no need for me to take anything out of the trunk. It’s out there now – the solid lasagna, pizzas and entrees. I figure if someone thinks they want a french bread pizza serving, they can go out and get it. They might think a little bit more about if they really want it or not if it’s in the trunk and not in the freezer inside. Just one of those little grandma maneuvers, dontcha know.