We had a nice, warm fall this year, followed by a warm -beginning of winter- for Wisconsin standards. December was the warmest December we have experienced in Madison since we moved to the city, 5 years ago. Almost, no snow at all. No crazy temps. No school cancelations. So we got used to the idea that it was actually going to be a warm winter. El Niño was working miracles on this part of the planet. -it seemed like, anyways-. Oh, silly us. January, well that's a different story. Temperatures the first month of the year have been reminding us that there's no escape. We live in Wisconsin. Cold finds us. It always finds us. It is winter and we are among the coldest cities in the country, that's a fact. So there we are right now, cold, cold , cold business. But winter can be pretty, right? Snow can be magical. Cold days can be cuddly and snuggly. The whiteness of winter can be peaceful for some of us. So I'll stick to that part of the story, white, cold but very pre