If It Were Warm Outside I Would…

Some places in Minnesota just got dumped on with almost a foot of snow. Some of my friends are really excited about this because they love to ski and snowmobile. I don’t do either and my hockey rink is melted. Now I have to dream about things to do when it’s warm, so here are some things I would do if it were warm. 

If it were warm, I would play tennis.

I love to play tennis. It’s a sport I took up as a child because I thought Andre Agassi was cute. I used to pretend I was in the Wimbeldon Finals as I played up against my garage in our huge driveway. Sometimes my sister would come out and play against me, but mostly it was just me playing in the driveway after supper. Sometimes I would play until it was too dark to see the ball and I was forced to go inside. Now I have a husband to play against. I don’t go too rough on him, though. He has a bad knee.

If it were warm, I would take a walk.

In 2011, Glen and I bought a lovely house in a quiet neighborhood. There were lots of young families with children and they all took walks in the late afternoon and evening. We thought, “If you can’t beat them, join them!” So, after dinner, some nights, if we aren’t playing tennis, we go for a walk around the neighborhood. Inevitably, everyone usually ends up having a parking lot party in a neighbor’s driveway. We listen to the radio, share snacks, trade stories and enjoy a beer or two. We almost always stand there until the mosquitoes get us or the kids have to be put to bed. In fact, I walked so much in one season, I wore out my shoes!

If it were warm, I would grow flowers.

A few years ago, I was introduced to a young lady named Chanda and her business, Fairview Gardens. Fairview Gardens is one of my favorite places to go for unique gift items, outdoor décor, indoor décor, and plants, plants, plants! When we moved into our house, the family that was there before us knew nothing about yard work, growing grass or what plants go where. It was a disaster and Glen and I have had to rehab that grass back from death. The landscape features were stupid looking and they had big tall plants in the front that covered up our lovely porch.

Enter Fairview Gardens. I drove up there with Glen one sunny March day when it wasn’t 35 and snowing and grabbed some carpet junipers. They add color without height as they grow out and not up. I also picked up two large yellow planters that match my house and every spring, I fill them with white, purple and yellow petunias. They look fantastic, they smell great and they attract butterflies!

All of this seems like such a distant memory, but at least there’s something to look forward to when the snow goes away!

What would you do if it were warm?