From The Editor: That One Task We Either Love Or Hate

Our Winter Home and Garden issue should be uplifting with ideas and tips to make your home a special place for the coldest season of the year.

The almanacs, meteorologists, and climate gurus point to this specific winter to be milder than usual. Not sure what it will look like ultimately, but I would expect us to at least get some snow, ice, and the usual trappings of a classic Minnesota winter.

In years past, we relied on a winter that delivered snow, freezing temperatures, icy conditions, and so forth. Now, who knows what weather patterns will deliver from now until April?

A “traditional” winter also means a task that we either love or dread whenever snow falls upon our walks and yard – shoveling.

We all know that snow that can take various degrees of weight. The light fluffy kind is easy to remove off the walk. The heavy, slushy type – not so much.

When we get well over six inches of snow, we break out the snowblower. That’s a task unto itself, isn’t it?

I tried very hard to get someone to talk to us about snow management at our homes. Whether it is advertisers, homeowners, neighbors, or some intrepid entrepreneur who walks down the street looking for a walk to shovel, I seem to want to get a perspective on how we should (a) shovel properly and (b) manage the snow on our property before something not-so-fun happens when it starts to melt away.

However, as a Saint Paul resident, I found that our neighbors become a great resource to get us through the winter. There is a Facebook group called the Saintly City Snow Angels. If you live in Saint Paul and are unable to do the task of shoveling the walk at your home, your neighbors might be able to help. It is also a way to connect with neighbors who might not otherwise know that you exist on the same block.

Whether you shovel your walks or not, we know that keeping a home going through the winter is a task unto itself. In this issue, we also talk about your home heating system and what you can do about to make sure it works through the winter. We also discuss ideas how to create a better color and design palette on your walls as a winter project at home.

Another winter home renovation task is to bring in new furniture. What would be great to get the gift of new furnishings for your home just in time for the Holiday entertaining season?

So much to discuss as the temperatures get colder and the onset of winter arrives back in Minnesota. And, there’s so much to do! Think about what we have in our issue and don’t forget to fire up the snow blower…or make sure your trusty shovel is ready to go!