It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

As most of you know, I live in Edmonton and in the winter it is pretty cold here. Thus my husband adapts to the weather by growing a beard. Now don’t get me wrong, he looks good in a beard. He has kind of a long face, thus goatees only make his face look longer – not really doing him any favours. The same goes for sideburns and most other ‘facial hair art’ that men are liable to exhibit. But a beard is quite nice as long as he keeps it trimmed. Anyhoo – guess what happens in the spring? That’s right – he shaves it off.

Ahhh ….

Seriously, no matter how dignified I think he looks in a beard, I’m always totally sucked into the charm of him clean shaven. With a beard he looks like he’s on the darker side of 35 and without, he looks like he’s 26. It’s so awesome! I lead such a pleasant life.

You know, I’m not an outdoor winter person. I don’t build snowmen, ski, toboggan, go on hay rides or go caroling. And that’s because I believe that all those things were invented by people who lived in more temperate climates. Up here, it’s hard to go trick-or-treating on Halloween for very long because the kids whine (and you inwardly whine) that it’s way too cold for it. In the winter, I get my sewing box out and preheat my oven and tuck in for about six months of NEVER GOING OUTSIDE unless I have to shovel the walk.

But my hubby does all sorts of winter things. He goes out and builds huge snow forts for the kids that are so large; he can go in with one of the kids at the same time. I go grocery shopping and he hauls all the bags in by himself (it involves a walk to and from our garage), so that I can heat up inside. He even practices archery in the darkest parts of winter. In short – that beard must be the difference between shivering so hard your kneecaps shatter and being like jolly old Saint Nick with a twinkle in his eye.

I should grow a beard next winter.