I'm a winter lover, which immediately puts me in a very small minority. I actually like the cold, and regard a fresh snowfall as one of nature's most beautiful offerings. I love playing in the snow with my daughter, and the dog. And who doesn't enjoy a mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows when you're done? I was raised in the Chicago area, where the biting cold on a windy February day felt like it could slice the ears right off the sides of your head. The winters here, by comparison, are a bit tepid -- and to a winter enthusiast like me, a bit disappointing.

It looks like this weekend, however, is going to be a doozie -- a dose of the Midwestern storms I grew up with. I'll be helping to put out a newspaper through much of it, but I hope I'll have some time to savor the snow. A quote by an unknown author on the Internet notes: "When it snows you have two choices: Shovel or make snow angels.'' Enjoy!