Those are good solid points about living close to your work, Orchid, and I agree with them.

But I think sometimes we are so used to being a nation of automobiles that we neglect these points when selecting places to live.

My mother, for example, who lives in a retirement community in a small community called Green Valley - closest city of significant size is Tucson - seems to be just now deciding that she doesn't have to travel to Tucson to get her hair cut, shop for groceries, etc.

In just the past month she has started having her hair cut by a woman who runs a salon right within their La Posada retirement community. The thing that is causing her to make these decisions is failing eyesight. Both she and her husband now have trouble driving.

But they haven't had to give up their tickets to the Tuscon Symphony, which is one of my mother's passions. LaPosada has a bus that takes people to the symphony.

I believe this bus can also can take people to doctor appointments in Tucson, when needed. But my mother isn't YET too keen on this, as it means a doctor appointment takes the whole day. (The bus makes the rounds of all the medical centers to drop people off, then circles back at the end of the day to pick everyone up.)

Sometimes therefore, she is having a friend drive her to her appointments.

But I'm getting off the main topic of the "Yucky" weather. It's sunny here today, but the temp at Noon is minus nine degrees F. With the wind chill, we are well into the negative 20s today.

I just heard that the US Weather Service has now declared this month to be the coldest month of this century. To date... (Sorry. I felt I had to add that last part. I'm afraid I worry that we are moving in the direction of weather extremes.)