Winter? What?

I know, I know. It’s springtime in New England. So what the heck inspired me to think/write about winter?

I was at Kohl’s recently – and you know how much I like Kohl’s – and they were offering an additional 50% off of all clearance items. As my better half would say, “It would be rude not to at least look.”

And since I’m not a rude person, I happily browsed Kohl’s and came across some great buys. Two of them are the subject of this blog.

Until I met my better half, I had never heard the word “balaclava,” let alone know what one is.

My curiosity got the better of me, so I checked Wikipedia to see what it had to say:

“A balaclava, also known as a balaclava helmet, ski mask, or shiesty, is a form of cloth headgear designed to expose only part of the face, usually the eyes and mouth. Depending on the style and how it is worn, only the eyes, mouth and nose, or just the front of the face are unprotected. Versions with enough of a full face opening may be rolled into a hat to cover the crown of the head or folded down as a collar around the neck.

“Similar styles of headgear were known in the 19th century as the Uhlan cap worn by Polish and Prussian soldiers, and the Templar cap worn by outdoor sports enthusiasts.

“The name comes from their use at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War of 1854, referring to the town near Sevastopol in the Crimea,  where British troops there wore knitted headgear to keep warm. Handmade balaclavas were sent over to the British troops to help protect them from the bitterly cold weather. British troops required this aid, as their own supplies (warm clothing, weatherproof quarters, and food) never arrived in time.  According to Richard Rutt in his History of Handknitting, the name “balaclava helmet” was not used during the war but appears much later, in 1881.”

Since my better half owned one, I got up close and personal to it, and then bought one for myself. It’s proven to be excellent to combat the nasty effects of New England winters, like freezing temperatures and shoveling snow. (Yes, as archaic as it sounds, we still shovel our snow.)

Now back to my Kohl’s shopping trip…while there, I saw balaclavas marked down to $4.00. With an extra 50% off, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to pick up a couple for our car’s winter emergency kit. The kit currently resides in the house, since our spring/summer kit replaced it in our trunk. I’m not anxious to do an emergency kit swap when fall/winter returns, but I know I’m prepared.

Do you have seasonal emergency kits in your car?

Drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you.

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