Lisa
Years ago, I read an essay written by Maile Meloy, a writer who grew up in Montana but now finds herself living in Los Angeles. “I still have the… idea that you must survive winter to earn your summer.” When people ask me why I didn’t fall in love with Los Angeles, I always quote that line of hers.
I lived in LA from September through December and then ran back to New York City in January after the tree at Rockefeller center and the Christmas windows at Macy’s had been disassembled. That particular January was so cold that by its final week all three of my roommates took off in search of reprieve. The day after they left, New York had the worst snowstorm of the year. Schools were closed. Cars buried. I was delighted.
Maybe I over romanticize that week because of the people I spent it with. My roommate’s boyfriend was studying for the bar exam. Since his apartment was, well, inhabited by a bunch of men who didn’t believe in Clorox, he’d come over to ours and study during the day. Boyfriend 6.0 was self-employed and I was job hunting, so the three of us spent the days together, working away in different corners of the living room. In the evenings, I’d cook dinner as they’d serenade me with their voices and guitars. Roommate’s boyfriend always helped with the dishes and, no matter where the conversation started, he always ended up talking about my roommate and how wonderful she was. When she returned from her trip, I was determined to see that she marry this Levi Smylie guy.
My mother called me the other day and told me that she’s wearing gloves. “We’ll be up at the cottage in a couple of weeks to rake all the leaves.” It’s our family tradition to make the drive north and spend the day raking. There are so many trees that we usually need to make 2 separate trips—one early in the fall and one late—to finish the job. My assignment is to drive the four-wheeler to the dumping spot and unload all the leaves. I love my job. I make a huge wall and then I surf down it when I’m done.
I live in Phoenix now. Tagg’s work has taken us here. Though I’m happy to be close to his family, nothing makes me more homesick than the weather forecast. I don’t have to rake or shovel or scrape. My shoes stay oddly perfect—no slush, no salt. I find myself lusting after tweed coats the way I used to lust after spring dresses in April. To use Ms. Meloy’s words again, “time [feels] suspended.”
One of my California friends always teases me, “You’d better get used to this kind of perfection, Lisa. There won’t be any permafrost in heaven.”
“Progress,” I retort. “There’s going to be progress.”
And though I don’t know what it’ll be like, I imagine it’ll feel similar to moving through different seasons.
34 comments
Comments feed for this article
October 13, 2009 at 9:18 am
smylies
Such a perfect post for me to read this morning. We spent the weekend driving through Vermont, seeing Fall as we’re certain nature always intended her. On several occasions one of our party would remark how fascinating it is that every three months or so, the whole world (by whole I suppose we meant places with changing seasons) casts a layer, completely changes, is radical. We theorized about what that means for us humans. I think your answer is as good as any.
October 13, 2009 at 9:32 am
sarahlolson
Lisa, this is 100% lovely. And a very, very nice/necessary recast to my gray morning, which I was–unusually–sad about. This is good to remember.
I love Fall. And that picture of you. I will reread these words in winter, no doubt. No doubt.
To October. And what comes before Spring.
October 13, 2009 at 10:47 am
tiffanyelewis
This is lovely, Lisa. We’ve spent the past eight years living in the South, where there are only two seasons: hot and hotter. And I keep thinking that it’s important for humans, and my children specifically, to feel the changing of the seasons. It allows for benchmarks, hope, and a little cold dread as well. And sweaters, which I miss dearly.
October 13, 2009 at 10:55 am
annebw
Mmm, lovely. It’s the perfect counterpoint to my melancholy about how quickly fall is passing this year. I adore October. I love the brilliant leaves and the chilly sweater-wearing days but it’s with an ache that recalls the months and months of stark New England winter. (And, I am afraid, I have a rather stark wintery personality during those months, too.)
We do earn those springs, these autumns, don’t we?
October 13, 2009 at 11:01 am
Louise Plummer
You live in Arizona? Have I missed this bit of information? The synapses are in a blither.
I always thought I was a northern kind of person and then I taught at BYU Hawaii one year and DID NOT MISS winter. I’d walk to work and pick a small gardenia to hold to my nose along the way. I’d sit on the beach and match my breathing to the waves.
One year might be like an extended vacation though. You know you’re not staying, so you stay hypersensitive to all the glorious differences.
Yes, spring is our reward for living through winter. I never get tired of spring.
Nice post.
October 13, 2009 at 11:11 am
Kahalia
I can not relate. I do love NY during Christmastime- only beacuse of the rock and Tree and lights and candied roasted nuts on the street corners. You can have the snow, howling wind, and freezing temperatures.
My time in Utah was miserable. I wore my coat(s) 9 months out of the year. That my friends is no Zion.
I am a girl from the South, the winter- usually means mid 60’s. I didn’t know what I had until it was gone…
And now I’m a Northerner cursing it all, hoping for snow just to make this suffering worthwhile.
October 13, 2009 at 11:30 am
Katie
Oh lovely! My sister is responsible for my love of fall and winter. I used to be glum about the whole season thing because I hate being cold. But Sarah, my sis, glories in fall and winter. She goes drunk on giddiness and makes spiced cider every week. We live in separate states now but I still mail her a leaf with a note on it every autumn.
October 13, 2009 at 11:38 am
Heather
Louise– is it really fair to compare Hawaii fall/winters to mainland southern fall/winters? With a brother-in-law living in Hawaii right now who keeps sending emails about all his hiking-beaching-camping-climbing adventures, I’m thinking that it’s a little different there than in my steamy Houston sweatshop of concrete.
All I’m saying is, you’re right. Hawaii is a skewed perspective that cannot be translated to the rest of the world. And Lisa, I’m with you and longing for a Vermont road trip.
October 13, 2009 at 11:43 am
Michaela
Oh delightful! I love the holidays in fall and winter, so I think it makes me like the seasons more. There is something so perfect about hot chocolate to ease the suffering through that high school Thanksgiving football game, and then again, baking cookies and pies and hams while the falling snow outside muffles the usually inescapable technological noises of the world. No cars, no alarms, none of it…just wonderful smells and contrast…the contrast of warmth and cold, light and dark.
October 13, 2009 at 11:47 am
Traci
I just bought an itunes winter themed mix. I’m trying not to listen to it until after Thanksgiving, Fiona Apple’s rendition of Frosty the Snowman will have to wait until then. But it’s hard to wait.
I read French Women Don’t Get Fat a couple of years ago, it’s the only diet book I would reread for enjoyment. It had a chapter about heightening your enjoyment of food by eating as seasonally (that’s a word, right?) as possible. I can’t wait to start making autumn soups, roast chickens with acorn squash, crusty wheat breads and lots and lots of things with apples.
You just have to dive wholeheartedly into where and when you are. I wish I could link to that Indiana? Iowa? post right now…
October 13, 2009 at 11:57 am
Elise
Welcome to Arizona! The weather does take a bit of time to get used to but this really is a lovely time of year. The weather here just may grow on you. In a month or two you will find occasion to wear tweed coats but not often. If you want to experience fall and winter– just head up to the White Mountains, Alpine (the aspen are lovely). and Greer are the most beautiful. However, if you want a shorter trip try Payson or Flagstaff.
October 13, 2009 at 12:17 pm
corktree
If it’s gonna be cold it really should just snow, but in a consistent enough pattern to avoid the issues of black slush. I can’t stand bare trees and brown lawns…I sure do miss a good Noreaster! And I wholeheartedly agree, in both directions. Thinking of winter is the only way I get through the dog days of summer, and vice versa.
October 13, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Jason M
I was in Arizona last winter and felt strange. It was cold-ish and was forecast as warm. (Is that right? Is it forecast or forecasted? My money is on both, though I like forcast better.) I went for a vacation from the cold and for a reunion on my mother’s side. I think I could be happy in all-year warm, depending on where and why. I agree with Louise – Hawaii is one of those places. The ocean is a great replacement for snow. If I were married and needed to be in Arizona, then so be it, but not unless all other options were thoroughly explored. I always loved visiting Arizona, but living there would be something else entirely. I don’t know how long I could stay away from New York. I love the winter here. You get the great city hustle and bustle, quiet walks through a park, and you can train/bus/automobile it to a country setting without much bother. The part of Utah winters I miss is my sisters and their kids and my mother. And the mountains (and skiing). But the long, desolate feeling of most winter days in Utah I can live without, thank you very much. For me it is, in part, the political landscape made material by the cold. “You do not belong here,” it says. “See, even the weather is telling you you have no place at all. Leave or die at once!” I say all this and reserve the right change my mind. I am getting a little better at not being subject to the weather.
October 13, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Kaedi
Sure Puerto Rico was fun that year, but I think I would have preferred to stay at 211 with you guys. Sigh.
October 13, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Rachel
Arizona will seem strange when you see Christmas lights and no snow. We moved from Boston in a January. My seasons were all sorts of messed up and the lingering Christmas lights and yard art didn’t help at all. I have to escape north, even if it is only to Flagstaff to remember what if feels like to be cold and to dig out the coats I liked to wear in New England. You’ll like it however in February when every one starts to complain that they are finished with the cold and looking for an escape, because then you get visitors.
October 13, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Christian
This makes me miss the wonderful time when I lived in Montana. When I came home, winter was like their summer. No joke. For the first time, I got to see what weather really is. While in kalispell, I finished winter and got into spring where I found that the non-existant allergies I have put me under for a week. But the season change is wonderful every year there; and so different in every town and city in Montana. I miss that perspective of changes while in Arizona. It’s so bland but at the same time, I really like the desert setting too.
October 13, 2009 at 4:40 pm
drfindley
I was raised in Vermont. I’ve faced colder and longer winters than I’ve seen in Utah and Idaho (even Rexburg). While I sure love the change in seasons and I sometimes miss the 5 seasons in Vermont (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Mud), I’m not sure it’s worth going back to.
I’ve just decided, being in the (mostly) sunny San Francisco Bay Area to not take for granted how lucky I am to have day after day of beautiful weather. Having served a mission in San Diego for 2 years in the most perfect of weather, I saw how ungrateful people were for the amazing weather (coming from a state with some of the worst) I determined I’d always appreciate the blue skies.
As an aside, it pouring down rain here and I love it.
October 13, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Holly
In Arizona, you have to survive summer to earn your winter. The seasons change, but you have to listen and feel the changes carefully. In winter, the bougainvillea blooms. The desert is colorful and fragrant, and it’s pretty stunning. There is a little chill in the mornings, maybe enough for a jacket, and you might have to wear socks if you’re going out at night.
Our first winter in Arizona, we went to the live Nativity at the Arizona Temple grounds: camels, sheep, a donkey, all making their way to the stable as the sun set behind the palm trees. Now THAT’s how it happened! Snow in Bethlehem? No way!
As winter approaches, I long for the sight of Christmas lights outlining the saguaros and palm trees. I wish I could hike the luminaria-lit trail up the mountain formerly known as Squaw Peak. I want fresh tamales on Christmas day, a Mexican tradition. Most of all, I cross my fingers and knock on wood that Cincinnati won’t have any snow to ruin Christmas Day!
October 13, 2009 at 5:00 pm
living in zion
Lisa,
I agree with Louise. You seem to be a slippery type. First you get married without even openly discussing wedding colors, then you run off and move without even a forwarding address! Is this the influence of a free-spirited husband, or have you always had the strength to do big things without needing a choir of support?
If I were in your position, I would have burned up the internet with my overwhelmedness of moving across the country. You are obviously made of strong stuff. Good for you, and Tagg’s job in AZ. I am a BIG fan of employment.
P.S. Arizona is best in the winter. Drive up to Flagstaff, go skiing for the day, then hop back in the car and be in the dry Phoenix desert in 3 hours. Don’t forget to make a weekend of it and hit the Grand Canyon north of Flagstaff. It is a nice giant hole in the ground.
October 13, 2009 at 5:08 pm
lisapiorczynski
smylies,
Seasonal changes are radical. That’s the perfect word for it. Yes. Glad to hear that your trip to Vermont was everything you wanted it to be.
saraholson,
Enjoy those grey days. I miss them so.
tiffanyelewis,
I’m with you. I think it’s wonderful for children to have seasons. The film Bambi does a particularly lovely job of showing them. The winter scenes feel like an eternity and Bambi says to his mother, “Winter sure it long, ins’t it Mother?” “It seems that way. But it won’t last forever,” she responds. I love the winter for the true miracle that spring is. I love it for reminding me that whatever kind of coldness I’m feeling in my life won’t last forever.
annebw,
Amen. We absolutely earn them. But I still think it’s a privilege to see such miraculous changes in the world around me.
Louise,
Ha. It just hasn’t worked its way into my other posts.
Hawaii. I’ve never ever been. Everyone keeps telling me I need to. That it’s not like warm weather anywhere else. Maybe Hawaii could make me change my mind. I love the water. My family lives right on Lake Ontario and the sound of the waves is one I miss very, very much. New goal: Teach for a semester at BYU Hawaii in the winter.
Kahalia,
I’m Canadian and Polish so I think it’s in my blood to like the cold. If you and yours are from the South, it doesn’t surprise me that you curse it! When the snow comes, stomp around in it for me.
Katie,
Cider! Yes! And apple desserts. And apple picking. So many wonderful memories.
Heather,
Go to Canada. I don’t care what Vermont says about their maple syrup. Ours is better. Also, no B&B compares to Hotel Piorczynski.
Michaela/Traci
I think you’ve identified the real reason I love the seasons. FOOD. (Btw, Traci, I’m totally with you. French Women Don’t Get Fat is the only diet book worth reading. It’s delightful and I totally agree with its methods.) I’m very much a food driven little creature. I can’t eat pumpkin bisque here in Arizona. It doesn’t feel right.
Elise,
You live here? Wonderful! Come play with me! I will say that I visited last year when the orange blossoms were perfuming the entire valley and that was heavenly. I do need to do some more exploring of the area. Tagg’s brother lives in Sedona and we’re heading up there this weekend. I can’t wait. The photos of that town are gorgeous.
corktree,
You want that great line from the musical Camelot to apply. (The winter is forbidden till December/ And exits March the second on the dot./ By order summer lingers through September/ In Camelot.) And, I’m not gonna lie. That would be pretty fabulous.
Jason M.,
Forecast vs. forecasted. No idea. Let’s ask Sarah O. She usually knows the answers to these sorts of questions. Sarah? Help? “I don’t know how long I could stay away from New York.” I hear you. I crave that city like none other. Tagg and I were there this weekend and it was so wonderful to be back. I love not having to drive.
Kaedi,
It was a magical week and I missed you terribly. Although, I think I slept in your massive super-cushy queen-sized bed the days you were gone. Had you stayed, you would’ve had company in your room at night!
Rachel,
Horray, another Arizona friend! Yes, visitors. It was my favorite thing about living in New York and I think it’ll be my favorite thing about living here. People will want to come and escape to my location. That will be wonderful. Also, next time you’re headed up to Flagstaff, give me a call.
Christian,
I forgot to post the link to the article! Here it is:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/15/opinion/swimming-to-montana.html
You’ll love it. I’ve never been to Montana, but this article makes me want to jump on a plane and go in the dead of March.
October 13, 2009 at 5:25 pm
lisapiorczynski
dfriendly,
Ha! A season of mud. We get that in March and April in Toronto. Yep, that’s it exactly. I will say this: if any city were to convince me that you don’t need a winter, it’s San Francisco. I visited for the first time a year ago and fell in love with it all. The fog won me over completely. Just gorgeous. And, yes, I agree: Love and appreciate the weather you’ve got.
Holly,
Oh, I’m glad you mentioned the Christmas pageant because I’ve heard a lot about it and am so looking forward to it! And bougainvillea– I’m obsessed with it. Gorgeous color. Tamales. Ummmmmm. Like I said earlier, I’m a food driven creature. 95 degrees will never win me over. But tamales might…
living in zion,
Hilarious. You know, I’m so grateful that people read this stuff I write, but I’m cautious b/c I don’t want to overwhelm you with details about me. (Writing about my life/ideas already feels so me-centric, you know?) Yep, it’s a cross country move. But I’ve moved a lot in my life and I just found myself wanting to talk about cell phones or Lucky Charms or whatever more than I did about a moving truck. As for the wedding, well, being a bridesmaid 7 times teaches you that everyone else is totally over the wedding planning after about a week. I was also grateful to have a place to talk about something other than the event! When Tagg and I have a baby, I promise to let you all know a solid 2 weeks before my due date.
October 13, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Shandi
Lisa,
I loved this post. This morning I woke up realizing that I was no longer sleeping in a cozy cabin in Vermont. I was back to reality, that is until I read your post. Thanks for letting me relive my weekend for just a bit longer.
October 13, 2009 at 11:30 pm
sar
If it gets below 60 degrees, you better put your tweed on or someone will think you’re a snowbird. I hope you grow to appreciate the beauty of the desert. Springtime in the desert has its own charm.
October 14, 2009 at 12:06 am
Katy
I’m glad you live here. I’m thinking Arizona just got a little better. Here are three places you must experience: Last Chance (Nordstrom’s dumping grounds), Over Easy (order the Wolf Pack), and La Grande Orange (order the Ruben sandwich).
Embrace flip-flops, Lisa.
October 14, 2009 at 1:20 am
tiffany
I loved this post! I’m firmly in the camp that loves fall colors, crisp temperatures, changing seasons and all the awesome fall foods. When I lived in Austin, I was so annoyed that fall meant hot weather until mid-November, slightly cool weather in December and chilly in January. It just doesn’t seem right. So, hurray for Fall!
Oh, and while it doesn’t snow often in Bethlehem, they do have snow on occasion. The Jerusalem area in general does get somewhat cold and rainy in the winter – mid 40s.
October 14, 2009 at 3:15 am
Vada
I love the seasons, and fall is my favorite. I miss it whenever I live somewhere that doesn’t have it. We’re back in TX again this year (after a couple of glorious years in the western NC mountains), and I’m just happy that I know we won’t be here long. I get depressed with no seasons.
October 14, 2009 at 10:51 am
lisapiorczynski
Shandi,
Thank you. Glad you had a wonderful weekend.
sar,
lol. Absolutely true. In Florida in the winter, my family would always be in shorts. It was a dead giveaway.
Katy,
Thank you for the recommendations! I’m already in love with Last Chance and Le Grande Orange. Hadn’t heard of Over Easy. We’ll give it a go. Do you have any more dining suggestions to share? I’d love love love to have them.
tiffany,
It makes me feel good about the world to hear that it can snow in Bethlehem.
Vada,
Amen, my friend. Amen.
October 14, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Katy
OK, Lisa, here are some more favorites: Lo Lo’s Chicken and Waffles–downtown Phoenix location, Matt’s Big Breakfast (Phoenix), Cafe ZuZu in the Valley Ho hotel in Scottsdale (my personal favorite), Pizzeria Bianco (I’ve never eaten there because the wait is always out of this world, but I hear it’s good).
If you’re willing to spend some cash, Tarbell’s and Durant’s are also very good.
If you’re ever in the Gilbert/Mesa area, Farmhouse Grill and Joe’s BBQ are delish. We also have Cafe Rio, Costa Vida (Cafe Rio knock off), and Gecko Grill.
If you’re ever near the Mesa temple, you have to try Mango’s and Sweet Cakes.
Also on Val Vista and Southern (Mesa), there’s a Great Harvestish type bread store with really great bran muffins and cupcakes.
Have you purchased a new pair of used Jimmy Choos from Last Chance? You can wear those all winter long! And what about Trader Joe’s? There are so many great things about Phoenix, I know you’ll be hooked.
October 14, 2009 at 12:40 pm
lisapiorczynski
Katy,
BLESS YOU, you kind, kind soul. Oh, I’m so giddy right now I can’t even tell you. Trader Joe’s. YES. Love it. Have been there lots. I haven’t gotten a pair of Jimmy Choos at Last Chance. I did get a pair of Miu Miu’s though– a couple years ago when Tagg and I were dating and out visiting his family. They are my first (and only) pair of designer shoes, and I spent less on them than I did on other regular brand shoes. I was definitely in love. Thanks again. You’ve made me excited to be here!
October 14, 2009 at 3:29 pm
drfindley
Sorry Lisa, this is blasphemy:
“Go to Canada. I don’t care what Vermont says about their maple syrup. Ours is better.”
The difference between Canadian and Vermont maple syrups? Vermont has higher standards. I hope you’re enjoying your second-rate syrup!
October 14, 2009 at 5:51 pm
lisapiorczynski
drfindley,
Lol. I thought that comment might get a rise out of you and our other Vermont readers. We’ll have to have a taste test after our Apron Stage half-marathon in March. I’ve got a great pancake recipe. Bring your syrup and your appetite.
October 14, 2009 at 6:15 pm
drfindley
Lisa:
It’s on. I hope you and Canada bring your A-game, ’cause you’re gonna need it!
October 14, 2009 at 6:48 pm
lisapiorczynski
We Canadians always bring our eh game.
October 16, 2009 at 11:29 am
icecreamsoup
I’m from Arizona too! No longer… but, I do believe that you must survive the summer (miserable) to derserve that winter. I leaned that after spending five years in Rexburg Idaho never seeing the ground 8 months of the year. Maybe you’ll enjoy the summer for the same reasons–you must stay inside all day! Welcome to the valley of the sun.