The Little Green Man Cometh... Or Beeneth...

There is this interesting -at least to me- thing tha happens each year as the weather gets colder and the snow begins to slowly make its permanent residence on our lawns. People have packed up Halloween decorations and brought out the winter essentials like shovels, window ice scrapers and of course, winter wear! Over the last few years I have become increasingly aware of the funny phenomenon that seems to affect everyone at this time of year, but moreso, by the time this season ends.

Like most people out there, I've looked into my winter-wear bin (a Rubbermaid © container in my ftont closet) and discovered, once again(!!) the Little Green Man had come to visit some time b/w last spring and this fall. Lost were the pair of black mittens (you know, the ones with the 1/2 fingers cut off and the overflap that can go back and forth so you can have the best of both worlds and use your fingers when necessary (re: heys, change, etc) -these were extra special b/c they were not velcro fastened and scratchy, but had a magnet thta secured the flap! Quite ingenious. Alas, I digress.) Last year's black small scarf that I found perfect and not too bulky was also missing. Of course.

Off to the department store I went, along with the rest of the city, to find another winter-wear miracle. I managed to pick up two toques (one simple black knitted and the other black with skulls & crossbones(!!)) a black matching knitted scarf and two pairs of black mittens. Score.

On my way home that day I looked around. It seemed like everyone had matching scarves, toques and mittens. In all wonderful and trendy colours and styles of the season. I had to laugh. Not at the different sorts of fashions I saw but rather at the thought of how that changes in so little time. By the time spring arrives it is a definite rarity to see people with an entire matching sets of scarves, toques and mittens (one reason to buy items only in black!). Most people have some mismatched or unmarried pairs of something! Me included.

I've noted that it isn't just the sort of thing that plagues elementary school kids. We never change, even as adults. If you look into the gutter and into the melting mass of snowbanks you will indeed find more than one lost mitten! I'll guarantee it. I remember when I was a kid and my mum knitted my sister and I mittens with the string that would attach to one mitten, through the sleeve, down the other sleeve and attach itself to the mitten on the other side. Not a bad idea for adults either. To be perfectly honest, I am saddened when I see one lone mitten laying on the ground. Normally, I pick it up and put it on the nearest ledge. I know if I were to go back looking for a lost article, I would be happy to see someone decided to keep it from being traompled on by massively dirty feet. Anyway. My point -and I do have one-... each year we're faced with the task of purchasing new winter-wear items only to have them disappear on us by the following season... Maybe we all need to invest in those long strings, attach them to everything including toques and scarves. Watch, I'll start a new trend. I'll call it "K-6" or something like that.

Weird Things (tm) do happen in this world, the Little Green Man is an evil among us! Let's not get me started on the issue of summer and sunglasses and socks that go missing in the washing machine!