It’s January 1, 2026. New Year’s Day. That statement means different things to some people and certainly something different to me than most. 

It’s a grand celebration for many and a more introspective time for others. Personally, I was in bed with a book before nine last night and asleep before midnight. This has never been a big day for me but I am glad for those of you who celebrate. 

The decision to read in bed and get some rest was an intentional head start to how I want my winter to be. As I age, I become more convinced that seasonal change is good for the human body and spirit. Even summer, which I despise, has a purpose in the rhythm of life even if many modern humans think it exists solely for their entertainment. 

Spring is a period of rebirth and a revival of beauty. Summer gives us longer days for productivity and growing while fall is a season of harvest and preparation for the harsher days ahead. 

And here we are in those harsher days where it’s cold and brown, where pine trees and lingering autumn leaves provide most of the color. The ground here is hard and blanketed in snow. Everywhere you look, trees and flowers are dormant. Animals have disappeared, choosing hibernation over struggle. Those left like the deer, birds, opossums, and squirrels do struggle so I make the trek outside each day to leave them a little something – not enough for them to become dependent but enough to help them out. 

As a modern American with a job and responsibilities, I cannot completely hibernate but I do my best to take advantage of the season. Where there’s darkness, I shine soft lights of a Christmas tree and strategically placed lamps. I make things cozy, welcoming and calm. This year I added a string of lights around the inside of my bedroom windows, making that room feel a little like a Scandinavian retreat.  

January has long been a No Spend Challenge Month for me, a perfect time to choose the quiet of home rather than adventure in the outside world. I will relive some adventures by telling you about them in stories this winter. I may even plan some trips for later this year. But I’m more likely to pass the month quietly here in my home on the ridge. I will do some home organization and maybe a little redecorating with things I already own. Feathering my nest is one of my favorite things to do.

I recently heard an interior designer say that minimalism and grey are out and that antiques and color are back. Homes that feel curated over time are back in fashion over those that look like they were carried in all at once. 

Essentially, I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life!

I developed a bedtime ritual last year but, as life became busier and more tiring, I notice myself rushing or skipping steps in favor of just getting to sleep. Mealtime is something thrown together. For the last couple of weeks, meals have been comprised of whatever leftover pasta, veggies, potatoes, cheese, and fudge I happened to find available. Bedtime has been later and later. For weeks, running errands and doing things I really didn’t want to do replaced intention and calm. 

I don’t exactly have New Year’s Resolutions but I do believe that this month is the right time for me to reset my intentions. To think more about nourishing meals, to choose water over Diet Coke, to choose rest over whatever nonsense the outside world has to offer, to read more, to relax with a puzzle, to try a new recipe, to feather my nest, to soothe my own nervous system – these are the things I resolve to do more. 

So, the blog for the next several weeks will be sort of a hodgepodge of adventure stories from last year, reading goals, cat stories, No Spend Challenge notes and other assorted things happening around here. I will also attempt to get back into a regular writing habit. When life gets to be too much, this blog is basically the canary in the coal mine. If I’m not writing here, that means there are bigger problems and distractions elsewhere.  

 I hope you’ll stay for it.

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you will make 2026 the best year for whatever will make you happy and calm.