Yes, that is what I would say to Master on the phone right now. Please don’t misunderstand, I would love to see Master. But Iowa is just not a pleasant place to be right now. The current temperature is -19, and there is a wind chill WARNING. Not an advisory, but a WARNING. It will feel like it’s in the 40s below zero.

I know I sound like I’m from Iowa, harping on the weather, but it’s getting to be a bit much, even for those of us who have spent our whole lives in Iowa. Master, I’m glad you’ll be here in June. With a little luck, the snow will all be melted by then.

Love you—glad you’re not here.

The music played softly. The lights in the apartment were dimmed, and Lora was vaguely away of the faint fragrance of roses. But her attention was focused more on Jaric.

Jaric was holding her lightly, effortlessly, as they swayed to the music. Dancing, holding each other close, Lora gave her feelings for Jaric free rein. She leaned into him, head on his shoulder, holding him just a little tighter. He responded by nuzzling her hair. The nuzzling turned to gentle kisses on her hair, forehead, over her eyes. Lora enjoyed them, turning her face up toward him. Their lips found each other. The kisses became long and deep and hard. Lora gave herself up completely.

She sat up with a start. A dream. A dream. She lay back down in the bed. What did it mean? She knew what it meant. Her feelings wouldn’t be denied much longer.

In his room, Jaric awoke from the same dream. He smiled in the darkness

Tomorrow I will be leaving early for work. We are having “wellness testing”. I get to see how “well” I am.

Actually they are doing several different blood tests. Basically, they will be checking cholesterol and blood sugar. Since diabetes runs in my family, I try to have the blood sugar tested periodically. So far, no problems. Everyone knock on wood.

I have had my cholesterol checked before as well. I don’t remember the numbers, but medical folk at the time told me it was fine. However, it’s been a few years, and I have made some significant, healthy changes in my lifestyle. I am interested to see how the numbers look now.

So, tonight after 6:45 I must forgo all food and drink (Oh, no!!) for twelve hours until I take the test in the morning. So I will eat a hearty, early supper and go to bed. Wish me luck.

May the numbers all return in acceptable ranges….

No, this is Iowa.” –from Field of Dreams

Iowa has been compared to heaven, and it does have some nice things about it. It is laid back, quiet, safe. It can be very beautiful, with open spaces and warm sunshine. However, Field of Dreams was shot in Iowa in the summertime. It isn’t summertime now. Forecast lows for Friday morning are in the -15 range in my area.

When things get this cold, I often think not of Field of Dreams, but of the saying “When Hell freezes over”. I think of all the things I have vowed not to do until the proverbial cold snap, and I’m glad my state is closer to heaven than Hell. The things I would have to do if Hell do freeze over, now THOSE things really make me shiver!

(Note: I actually wrote this a few days ago. The current temperature here is a balmy 28.7 degrees, truly a heat wave for this time of year!)

One day as they were finishing supper, Lora asked, “When can I go outside?”

“Where do you want to go?” he asked.

“How would I know? I don’t even know where I’m at!” she said.

“Okay, fair enough. Wait here.” With that, Jaric turned and left the apartment. She remained seated at the table, stunned.

He returned a few moments later and showed her a key.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“It opens the window,” he said. “Let me show you.”

Jaric went to the right side of the window and showed Lora a slot near the bottom. He inserted the key, jiggled it, and the window swung in toward them. The smell of flowers and non-filtered air entered the room. Lora just stood, transfixed. Jaric held out the key to her.

“You can keep it,” he said softly. “There are no other openings in the courtyard, nowhere else to go anyway. You might as well enjoy the fresh air and the outdoors.”

He helped her through the window into the garden outside. She brushed against trees and bushes, marveling at the feel of them. She lowered her face near the flowers and took a deep breath of their sweet fragrance. More than anything she just enjoyed being outdoors once again.

After that, Lora wondered around in the courtyard every day. The enclosure was small, no more than 50 feet square, but it was still outdoors. She inspected every inch of it. She knew every bush, tree and scrub. She also knew the walls. They were white brick and completely smooth. There were no cracks or indentations that would make footholds. There was no way to climb the 12 feet to the top and escape over the roof. There were no windows or doors or openings of any kind, save the window into her own apartment. There weren’t even any stones of any size to stand on. Jaric was right; she wasn’t going anywhere.