Simply Norma

When I first went to the Mall of America, I was surprised to see such a large indoor amusement “park.”  I couldn’t keep my eyes off of all the rides.  And my fear — which is probably unwarranted — is that one of those “rides” will fly off the track and into the crowd.  Not impossible but probably not probable.

Having had severe vertigo in the past, and still having residual effects from it, I would not get on any of the rides.  Besides, not sure anyone would want to hear me yell that loud.

Part of the roller coaster ride.

This brought back memories of the outdoor carousel in downtown Seattle that would go up every Christmas season.

The roller coaster is massive and makes me dizzy just to look at the people go upside down.

 

The last memory I have of being on a ferris wheel was when I was growing up in Chicago.

This is a “kiddy” ride.  The bus basically goes up and down.  It’s funny to watch it go up and down as it looks so boring

And yet, it’s perfect for the kids.

These are lockers for those who get tired of carrying everything around.  The smallest one is $5.00.  A little steep for a little space.

Last minute shopping took me to the Mall of America.  It’s huge!  So many stores and lots of walking.

The first time I went here, I had dressed warmly for the cold weather with thermal underwear, hat, scarf, sweater — then regretted it after an hour of being inside as I not only had to lug everything I bought but I had to lug all of the clothing that I had taken off.

This time, I dressed warmly but left my coat in the car and dashed into the mall which is heated quite well.

The Lego display caught my attention today.

Lego Display

The displays were up where one could not touch them.

They were massive-looking and must have taken a long time to create.

Legos

Lego Display

Lego Display

After the blizzard of December 2010, we had mounds of snow throughout the twin cities.  They have not finished trying to find places to put these mounds.  Sometimes while driving, it’s difficult to see around the snow so one has to be careful not to hit anything or anyone when they drive around the bend, er mound.

Woodbury, MN blizzard 2010

This pile of snow was in a parking lot in a mini mall.

I’ve always been one of those people who send their Christmas cards out by Thanksgiving. Not so this year. I still have one left to mail.

The feel is different this year as I also missed my “shop by Veterans Day for Christmas” day this year.

My traditions have been replaced by trying to get into an apartment, packing a Seattle house for storage, contacting companies to disconnect and reconnect utilities, changing addresses, etc.

All simple things but time-consuming nonetheless.

Now the anticipation of finding the right house to buy and everything that goes with that, unpacking, sending out new addresses again, etc.

Perhaps my son was right when he said we should just buy an igloo.

The snow has not daunted my efforts in plodding along.

It’s more the brain that is moving slower with trying to compartmentalize and process all the new things.

As a middle-ager, I have to think that it’s a good thing to keep the brain active.

There can come a time though when the brain says “enough now” and takes a mental break.

As Christmas draws near, I am reminded to stop and smell the roses, er snow, and rest in the beauty of the new moments in time we are given.

They call it “arctic sunshine.”

That’s because it’s -6 right now and sunny.  The high temperature for today is 2.

I have to laugh, although looking forward, I would like to have radiant heated floors in the house we buy.  At least in the kitchen and bathrooms.

The apartment we live in has carpeting but on a day like today my feet are still cold.  Slippers are a must.  And when I step off the carpet in my socked feet, it feels really cold.

I so enjoy the sunshine though.  Quite different from Seattle’s clouds.

The blizzard has passed us.

We woke up to 2 degrees today in Woodbury, Minnesota.

One of my concerns in moving to this region is my asthma.  Cold and wind can bring it on as well as a serious cold.  So far, the cold and wind have not had an impact but that’s because I don’t spend much time outside.  From car to store, store to car, etc.

It’s really no different than what I did in Seattle.

I did buy a ski mask for myself.  This is the new fashion for me when I cover my mouth so as not to breathe in the cold air.

When I enter stores, I remove the bottom portion.  Not too bad — definitely a different look.

Looking out the window from the Starbucks where I am having a cocoa and scone, I enjoy the beautiful change in the sunrise colors from a deep pink to a soft pastel cream.

I continue to watch what people do in this town of Woodbury as the weather changes from the 20’s to highs in the teens.

So far, Minnesotans continue to do what I call the Minnesota shuffle going from car to store with an intense look on their faces to get inside.

And yet, most walk around in jackets that are not buttoned or zipped, no hats, no gloves.

As if they are either acclimated to the weather changes or they are invincible.

I continue to don my hat, bright multiple-colored scarf (in case I should need to be located amidst the white snow) and gloves.

My Seattle thermal underwear have held up well but I know I’ll need something much warmer soon.

The gray skies have returned now as we await the 2-3 inches of snow this afternoon.

I’ve learned that one can get along quite well in that amount of snow as streets are quickly cleared returning to their salty white look.