Springtime in January?

I was incredulous at what I heard some ladies at the grocery store discussing. The topic was how cold it is in Germany. They were Americans, but they either were from the South or just plain idiots. They were saying how cold German winters are- oh, how awful and horrible weather. What?!? Yes, in December it was a bit cold- but stayed right around the freezing mark. There has been no snow to speak of, only a week or so of beautiful heavy frost, and no freezing rain. Not really much rain to speak of all together. It does seem to be mostly cloudy most of the time, but this is much of the case much of the year. So, maybe this fact gives some people the illusion of bad weather. But really, it's been a decent winter. The weather is mild in Germany all year around- not much of extreme temperatures in any season.

My biggest point of it being a mild winter- nature. The birds are returning already, and the flowers are blooming. I have been watching my daffodils, tulips and hyacinths break ground for a full month now. My hydrangeas have leaves sprouting on them and the azaleas and rhododendrums are getting ready to bloom. Primroses, snowdrops and crocus are in bloom, among several vines and bushes and other native flowers that I don't know the names of. And it is yet January. Hmmmmm.... not my definition of a hard winter. People are really unrealistic and babies when it comes to the simpliest of things- even the most basic thing as weather. I think those who face the mudslides, blizzards, avalanches, typhoons, volcanos, storms at seas, floods and other natural disasters are the only ones to have something to complain about concerning the weather. Good grief.