Bundle up for the cold!

The talk of the town this week is how bitterly cold it is. I'm always amazed at the variety of bundling that people do -- at all times of year, really, but especially when I'm piling on as many layers as I can manage. I was pretty comfortable on my walk this morning, other than my face, because I've never figured out the trick of getting my scarf to stay up over my cheeks.

I'm shocked when I see people exposing bare skin at neck, wrist, or ankle (our intern this morning reported seeing people out and about without socks!). In fact, Somerville, where I live, has just announced a cold weather alert, and is providing warming centers open to the public during this cold spell.

Most of us (and certainly those of us reading this post) won't need to visit a special warming center, and will conduct our lives normally, if with a bit of extra shivering, in the next few days, but this brings up the important point for all of us of dressing appropriately. In the winter, the difference between a cold and shivery walk and a pleasant one is my clothing.

It seems obvious to those people who are accustomed to cold weather, but wearing the proper cold-weather attire makes all the difference, and when it's bitterly cold, the right amount may be more than you think. For the folks I work with who are from tropical climates, the idea of being warm in the out-of-doors during winter is itself inconceivable until I explain just how many layers I'm talking about.

It is possible to walk outside in the winter and stay warm, but you have to plan for it. If the option is to bundle up or not set foot outside the house from December through March, I pick the down parka and three layers of socks!