Compost Studios

I’m having a flashback to the beginning of May. The warm sunny days, the blooming flowers, the smiling people wandering happily through parks and lingering over lunches in sidewalk cafes. I remember that week where we all reached for short-sleeves and traded shoes for sandals and considered how lucky we were to be living in beautiful Belgium.

My gosh, what the hell happened? What did we do after that to incur the endless wrath of the Mighty Gods of Meteorology? All I know is that several weeks ago the wind kicked up, the clouds blew in, and the rain has been blowing sideways ever since.

We’ve all retreated to our houses and offices, our smiles sliding off our faces like the water on the windowpanes.

With much grumbling and grousing, I’ve had to retrieve my turtlenecks and sweaters from storage. My heavy leather jacket has cycled back into rotation in the coat closet, and I haven’t dared to leave the house without a scarf.

In the evenings I often sidle up to the radiators to see if they’re hot so I can warm my back against them. At night I’ve been pulling on socks before I climb into bed and drawing the red fleece blanket and flannel sheets up to my chin. My desktop is littered with teacups, and there are fresh ashes in the fireplace. Hello, is it really JUNE?

I haven’t lived in Belgium long enough to know what’s typical for any given season. All I know is that I’m sick to death of spending my days swathed in layers, braced against the elements.

I want to wait for the bus without huddling in the shelter, looking for a spot untouched by blowing rain. I want to go to the market and feel the sun on my bare arms while waiting to pay for fresh lettuce and tomatoes from smiling vendors. I want to set off for a long walk without scanning the sky for banks of ominous clouds or turning up my collar against the wind. I want to leave my umbrella languishing in the dreary dark of the coat closet.

Dammit, I want to worry about getting a sunburn for a change. I want to find a thin place in the ozone layer and huddle under it. Where’s global warming when you need it most? A little UV therapy would certainly lighten and brighten our lives in Europe right now.

Bring it on!

June 1, 2006