Back in December I proclaimed that I wanted to hike a lot this winter.
Cue the polar vortex and the weeks of snow and ice on our trails that made it nearly impossible to safely get in the woods.
BUT, it was fifty degrees and sunny on Saturday so we jumped at the chance to get out for a little saunter through the woods. We chose the Moonville Rail Trail for its proximity to home and all around easiness. After all, we hadn’t been out for months!
We even made a new friend. It seemed a little early and chilly for him but he appeared quite satisfied enjoying the day in the sun.
It was a good choice and a beautiful day for fresh air, exercise and some bonding with nature. I came home feeling refreshed and not worn out. I was calmer, rejuvenated and better.
It was a powerful reminder to keep looking up! Happy Monday, friends. Keeping looking up.
PS- The temperature plummeted and the snow returned yesterday so our timing was great!
This world is an awfully noisy place for a quiet soul. I am constantly reminded of this to the point I wonder if the world ever gets tired of its own nonsense.
If you ever wonder how I’m doing there are two ways to tell – the regularity with which I’m writing in my free time and the state of my refrigerator.
If I’m writing every day and my fridge is reasonably clean, I’m doing great. When I go missing from this space and the fridge is out of hand, send help.
There’s nothing wrong other than my inability to time travel or to add hours to most days. Everything is fine but my work and volunteer commitments have been demanding enough that any kind of creativity or even reading has been too much to ask. Even poor Scout has been deprived of attention.
I tell you that to say this.
Life happens in seasons. This part of the year is challenging because it needs to be. Another six weeks or so and life will go back to normal.
Maybe your season is even more challenging than mine. Maybe you don’t know when it will end. Maybe you fear it never will.
I bet it will if you give it time.
Personally, I have shifted out of the winter cocoon of reading and soup into a kind of survival mode where dinner is sometimes cheese and crackers while I watch the Andy Griffith Show. It’s fine. Everything is fine.
Easy and gentle, steady as it goes. The only way out is through. This season won’t last forever. Last night I cleaned out the fridge. Today I write. Tomorrow maybe I’ll read. In a month or so I’ll start planning some spring adventures.
Difficult seasons won’t last forever. Give yourself some grace and do what you can. Everything is going to be fine.
And when the world is too noisy, be sure to protect your quiet soul.
Around here, we are solidly in winter and it’s a real winter unlike some recent ones where there’s been little snow. It’s cold AND snowy right now. I like the snow but dislike waking up on these subzero nights to run water so it doesn’t freeze. Keeping the bird feeders full has been something of a project as well. My feathered friends are desperate for nourishment in our frozen world.
Around here, work is keeping me occupied and is occupying my thoughts outside of work hours too. It’s that time of year and I have to remind myself that this too shall pass. Consequently, I’m throwing all my energy into protecting my own mental health.
To that end, I’m spending a lot of time curled up with a blanket and a book. In fact, I’m about six books ahead toward meeting this year’s reading goal. Don’t be impressed though. I’ll soon start falling behind. When the weather warms up, I’ll be out adventuring instead of home reading. I’m savoring every word and every page right now, grateful there are so many smart people out there who write good books.
I am thoroughly enjoying my reading and quiet as I chip away at the book stack that’s now occupying a good chunk of my dining room table. It’s a visual reminder of all the amazing books awaiting my attention and a reminder of how much I enjoy the written word.
Around here, I’m also enjoying the sixth season of All Creatures Great and Small. This is not a reboot of the original tv show but a reimagining of the amazing stories written by author James Herriot. Set in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales in the years leading up to (and now at the end of) World War II, this show is quite literally the only thing I look forward to seeing. It is a tragically short season of just seven episodes. It’s one of those shows that I will watch and rewatch because it’s simply that well done. I once heard a critic refer to it as slow tv, an annoying but apt description as the show focuses on the people and animals rather than explosive one-upmanship like so many other modern tv shows.
Around here, slow tv is a welcome part of my attempts at slow living. Those slow living efforts are made easier by the continuation of my No Spend Challenge. This continues to go well and be fun but I’m suddenly very tired of deciding what to cook and feeling like doing dishes is my full time job. I know this is just a phase but I sometimes think how delightful it would be to just order pizza.
Around here, Scout has been cozying up in the strangest places, finding warmth and comfort wherever he can. He’s a funny guy and a good little companion who is thrilled to have me home more this winter.
Around here, I’m snug and happy in my snow globe world, thankful for my job and all the comforts it brings to my life -even if I’m in the midst of a rough patch.
And as always, I believe that having things to look forward to is a key to happiness so I’m working on making sure that I have plenty to anticipate including a weekend away with my Pittsburgh pal this spring.
When I travel, if given a choice I’ll always favor a local restaurant over a chain. Not only is it often a better experience, it’s also a literal taste of the community.
When we were in Wooster last year to shop at this fabulous downtown bookstore, we first needed a bite to eat.
Even a book dragon needs nourishment before setting out to build their book hoard.
So we found this local hangout called Muddy’s which has an extensive menu of sandwiches, pizza, salads and more. It’s in an old Cadillac dealership and has nostalgic garage decor.
The service was terrific and our food came out quickly. I recall enjoying my meal but can’t begin to tell you what I ate. This is why I take pictures of my food when I think it’s a place I’ll someday recommend!
It was some kind of sandwich maybe with tots? All I know is that it was good and quick and we had enough time to scope out that bookstore before heading up the road to the holiday lights at Stan Hywett.
