By Mark Mosgrove

    I love wintertime in Medina County! You wake up in the morning cozy and well rested (ah, this is the best time of year to get a good night’s sleep, isn’t it?). Nothing beats the early morning fresh air as you step out to get the morning newspaper. You count your blessings as you realize that you are fortunate to have a nice and warm house for shelter, when some poor souls aren’t so lucky.
    A sip of coffee (coffee is always served too hot to drink because it is meant to be savored) and a warm shower to soothe the soul. If you’ve got the time, you crank the water to HOT and you just let it engulf your body. You take delight knowing that you’re using up all the hot water for the next person (hah!).
    You let your dog out to do his business and he promptly returns to the back door to be let back in. Good boy!
    As you take a minute to scrape off the car windows, you marvel at the frost on the grass and tree limbs and appreciate the beauty of it all.
    The drive into work is peaceful. All the other drivers seem to be paying attention as they embark on their journeys (no summertime daydreaming that causes traffic accidents).
    Everybody at work is talking about last Sunday’s Browns game. Football was made to be played outside, in the mud and snow. It gives our team a great home field advantage versus those sissy California or dome teams. Isn’t it great having a team back in Cleveland!
    During the work day, people tend to be on time for their appointments because they leave a few minutes early and there is not as much traffic on the roads. It’s generally a good time being at work in the winter, because there are fewer outside distractions and cooler temperatures at work make for a more comfortable work environment.
    Back at home, there aren’t many chores that you need to do outside -- the lawn doesn’t need mowed, the garden doesn’t need tended to, etc. After a frantic summer season, it’s nice to spend some time quiet indoors for the next few months.
    Your kids play video games by the hour and you are relieved that you don’t have to be constantly looking after them in the yard. And some of the best television events occur in the winter -- the November and February sweeps, Christmas specials, the Super Bowl, etc. And all the summer blockbusters are now on video.
    The holiday food is great, Christmas is a wonderful time of year, and having snow fights are a lot of fun.
    And have you ever noticed that there are a lot of babies born nine months removed from the winter months? Yes, winter is awesome!