Voila! She has discovered the perfect solution for the January blah's! Chuckling to herself, she runs around the house putting her idea into action.

Outside the wind is howling in protest to the cold gloom filling the sky as it whips the snow across the fields like confetti in a New York City ticker-tape parade.

Brad, her husband, has taken their son and daughter to Suicide Hill to try out their new snowboards. Even though it is only 17 degrees out, she hopes they will not return until dinnertime, which will give her plenty of time to prepare her surprise.

"Mom, MOM, open the door! Why is the screen door locked? We're freezing cold out here! MO-OM, where are you? Hurry up!"

She opens the door and giggles as Brad, Audrey and Allen gasp and roll their eyes in disbelief. Audrey and Allen holler at the same time, "MOM, you're wearing SHORTS and a HALTER and SUNGLASSES!" Brad begins fanning his face as he feels the heat pouring out of the house onto the porch. If he wasn't standing there in the frigid cold he would swear it was a hot August day.

Brad and the kids stumble into the house and see logs blazing in the fireplace and two fans circulating the warm air around the room. She has turned up the thermastat to make it feel more like a hot, summer day. The drapes are closed to shut out the dismal January sky. All the lamps in the living room are on causing Brad and the kids to squint against the brightness.

A blanket is spread on the floor in front of the fireplace. A vase of colorful summery flowers sits at each corner of the blanket. There is a place setting on each side of the blanket, bright yellow paper plates with matching cups and napkins. Scrumptious picnic food sits in the middle of the blanket.....her delicious, secret recipe potato salad, and Brad's favorite - bubbling baked beans. A music CD of seagulls and relaxing sounds of the ocean drifts across the room.

Brad and the children begin grinning and shedding their heavy winter coats, scarves, hats and gloves. She tells them to hurry to their bedrooms and put on the summer outfits she has laid out on their beds.

As they return to the living room she hands each of them an icy mug filled with their favorite root beer. She begins singing a Beach Boy's song and gives each of them a coat hangar and hot dogs to roast over the blazing logs.

Everyone huddles together in front of the fire singing songs as they roast their hotdogs to a perfect black crust. The children squeal with delight as Dad sits on some plastic ants she has scattered across the blanket.

Outside the wind is howling, the winter sky is a dismal grey. But inside everyone is singing summer songs and laughing over her cool way to chase away the January blah's.