Sunny Can Be Deceiving

My family moved to the Seattle area from California when I was eight years old. The rain and cold never bothered me until I was in my late 30’s and now every year from November to May my dissatisfaction for Western Washington's weather grows. Last week we experienced a huge dip in temperatures signifying what lies ahead for the rest of fall and the coming winter. When I am cold I freeze up! Even though the logical side of me tries to get my body to understand that movement will warm me up all I want to do is curl up in a ball, wrap myself in blankets and fall asleep. Instead of embracing my cold weather style and realizing that my sweaters and coats will finally see the light of day, I long to be a snowbird and abandon everything to seek the comforts of the warm sun. Unfortunately, the rest of my family is content with where we live all year round and who am I to disrupt that?

I’m not sure what has caused this cold and rain wimp disorder, and I do realize I am being extremely WIMPY, since Western Washington does not see the kind of cold that other areas do. Since there is no known magic pill to cure me I have written down five reasons that the cold and rain are beneficial in an attempt to lift my spirits. 

1.    Rain = Green - The rain keeps our state beautiful and green. I haven’t done much traveling, but from what I have heard nothing beats the lushness of Western Washington. There is so much magnificence that surrounds us and without the rain we would see much of it go away. 
2.    Negative Ion Benefits – Negative ions are tasteless, odorless and invisible molecules that we inhale when we are in environments that contain moving water, like rain. Once the negative ions reach our bloodstream, they are believed to produce biochemical reactions that help to relieve stress, alleviate depression and even boost our energy.  ~ Redlands Daily Facts
3.    Drinking Water – According to Livestrong rain provides 30 percent of our fresh water for drinking.
4.    Animal Life – Ask.com reminds me that just like we need water to live, animals also depend on rainwater for survival. Several species in the ocean rely on rainwater that flows from land to the sea to provide them with the essential minerals they need.
5.    Cold Weather Burns Calories – The Huffington Post reports that simply being cold can cause a significant calorie burn. Wait, what!? I can burn calories without exercise? Yahoo!

I may still bitch and moan about the weather, but I am hoping that these facts will help get me through to summer. What do you do to survive the fall and winter months?

Delaney and I photographed two outfits on this sunny, but cold and windy day and we were chilled to the bone!

Pants: H&M (old, like these & these)  Lace Top: Forever 21 (similar)  Shirt: Plain White Button Up Shirt (similar)  Jacket: Express (on sale - 30% off)   Necklace: Forever 21  Shoes: Sole Society (old, like these & these)