Nice Ice and the Minnesota Spirit

This blog entry is for the benefit of my parents who winter in Arizona, and any other southern blog readers that might check in:
It has been an easy winter so far but it was "something below zero" (-16F) this morning. Here in the church office this afternoon we decided to run less than the usual 200 worship bulletins for the 9:30 service. Its supposed to be colder than 20 below on Sunday (-50 wind chill) and especially since we have quite a few older church members, it might (wisely so) keep a few back home. We know that cold weather creates hardship on stretched-thin budgets with extra heating bills, it strains our cars, stresses animals and those who must work outside. But yesterday I heard that classic, Minnesota line, "It will make "nice ice.'" The woman I overheard is either hoping to get rid of her husband out in the fish house for awhile, or she herself, does the ice-fishing, but it goes to show, we can still choose to look for the sunny side...even when the sun light doesn't make much heat. Does "Nice ice" go along with Minnesota nice?
I thought too, of what other Biblical or theological framework there might be for our Minnesota spirit. Is this a case of I Corinthians 13; ".. love bears all things, endures all things" even a Minnesota winter? Is this in the category of Paul's word in 2 Corinthians 4:8 "We are troubled, but not crushed." Maybe we go to Philippians 4:8 and "put our minds on whatever is good..."

Maybe its just cold and this is Minnesota and there's nothing else we can do about it because we can't all go south! So make the best of it.... Nice ice!
PS That means the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza is on for Jan. 26!