As the overnight temperatures continue to freefall this time of year, many will pull out that quilt from the closet and drape it on top of their bed, in anticipation of chilly nights ahead.

The nice, light comforters you can acquire at the store these days are light years different from the ones I grew up with back in the 1970s.

Back then, if you had a quilt, you probably got it for Christmas or your birthday from grandma or some other various and sundry quilter. She probably spent the better part of a year handstitching the squares together, adding the internal layers and making everything line up nice and neat. No doubt one of the internal layer materials was spelled L-E-A-D.

The particular qilts my brother and I had were hand-me-downs, from my great-grandmother. My Mother tells me she had them growing up back in the '50s, so they more than stood the test of time.

They built them thick back in the day. At the time I had no barometer in regard to top-of-the-bed density, but compared to today's fluffy, lightweight comforters, climbing under my old quilt to avoid Jack Frost was like slipping into a vice.

I guess the weight came from the thickness as much as the materials it was made from. On a cold Montana winter night, a couple blankets with a quilt chaser did the trick, and I survived each night unfrozen.

I probably got in some type of compression workout as well, since my body had to fight back the pressure from above just to keep air in my lungs.

These days, I also have a comforter in the family room, which I use during what I call my "power down time" each night, as I get ready to hit the rack, jump in the sack, catch 40 winks, count sheep and slip off to the land of Nod.

So yes, the nice, featherweight comforter provides plenty of warmth, to the point that I occasionally have to swing it off me sideways in bed just to keep from boiling. But compared to Old Ironsides, I'll gladly deal with a little body temperature control from time to time.

Cozying up for a long winter's nap is the best way to end a day. Keeping the body toasty always seems like you're getting away with something.

Waking up comfortable sometimes makes it hard to get out of bed. Nothing like the old days, when my return to consciousness alerted me to escape the quilt's clutches and gasp for two lungfuls of air.

Yep, I will have to say, progress never felt so good.

You can attempt to reach Jerry Hitchcock at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at HitchTheWriter.