Tag Archives: Winter

Slowing Down

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As the world begins to slow down and winter approaches, it’s time to think about slowing down your own life and embrace this next season of rest and quiet.

When was the last time you walked amongst the trees and squirrels? When was the last time you slept in? When was the last time you had the camper out or set up a tent for the kids in the back yard?

The burn ban has been lifted here in southern Ohio. Maybe it’s time to have a bonfire. Hot chocolate and smores for everyone!

Read a book, take time to play catch with your grandkids, watch rain drops stream down the window, kick up your feet for a beloved old movie or use the chocolate chip bag recipe to make some cookies.

Action packed doesn’t equal happy. Sometimes the happiest moments can be found in the slow, quiet ones.

October is typically my busiest month of the year. November is a delightfully quiet, slower and darker time to rest and revitalize the mind, body, and spirit. I am beginning to yearn for early bedtimes and cozy nights at home.

As much as I love all the running around I’m doing right now, I eagerly await what’s to come with the shorter days of November!

A Walk In The Park

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Mother Nature is currently having a nervous breakdown here in southern Ohio. While I’m missing my winter snow and cold, it was nice to slip outside for a walk at Lake Alma last night.

It was 53 degrees and sunny – warm enough that my jacket seemed a little too much. The light was golden and the reflection off the lake so bright it was practically blinding.

Of course, it has been so gray of late that any sign of the sun seems bright!

Fresh air in my lungs, movement in my muscles and beautiful trees and water as far as the eye could see were exactly what I needed.

Plus, knowing that I was walking after work meant that I had something to look forward to all day long. As far as I’m concerned, having something to look forward to every day is one of the keys to happiness. Spending time in nature is another. How fortunate when the two work together!!

We get a finite number of days in our lives. Why not find a way to enjoy each of them? Why not take advantage of these pretty days to do something truly good for ourselves?

Whatever you enjoy, find a way to enjoy it and have a fantastic day!

Finally, SNOW!!

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After weeks of lamenting the absence of any true winter weather, we finally received a nice snowfall Thursday night. I measured about four inches yesterday morning when I went out to feed the birds. Additional snow filled the air off and on for the remainder of the day and I was grateful for each and every small flake.

I was also grateful to be working from home yesterday so I could just sit back and enjoy the coziness of home. 

Since it was a workday, I didn’t make it outside much but Scout did station himself in the window sill to keep tabs on everything outside. There were swirling snowflakes to study, birdies to track and a stray cat to keep an eye on. He would occasionally tire from his responsibilities and come sit with me for a while. His naps were short though as he periodically returned to the window to stand sentinel over this brave new world covered in white.

I spent my lunch break and then the evening hours doing some light chores and savoring that sensation of being snowed in.

My Facebook feed was clogged with indignation from friends who hate snow and winter and anything that isn’t representative of summer. There was also odd bragging from friends in southern states because they’re eating outside this week. I have never understood these people. I more or less want to smack them all upside the head because they’re missing the point of having a winter season.

It’s good for us.

Nature puts itself to bed for a few months of rest every year. Why shouldn’t humans do this as well? 

We weren’t made to keep up a breakneck pace all the time. I don’t know about you but I’m excited to have this excuse to slow down and to enjoy the life I have rather than one that’s mainly social media ready and exhausting.

I am grateful to be where I am and to have a chance to snuggle down in the covers for a long winter nap!

Not So Snowy Winter Days

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If you’ve ever watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special you may remember that Charlie Brown lives in a small town that’s blanketed in snow where there are often flurries coming down for the children to catch on their tongues.

This is where I wish to live. 

Not in a world with three feet of snow preventing you from opening the front door and not in this southern Ohio nightmare we call winter where a handful of flakes cause people to whine that winter is terrible. 

I want to live in a place with a few inches of snow on the ground from Christmas through at least February. I want to see all the ugliness of everyone’s outside junk and boringness buried beneath snow that sparkles on a sunny day and that absorbs sound on a still night. 

This is my fantasy. 

There’s speculation that Charlie Brown lived in Charles Schultz’s Minnesota hometown. That state is well known for harsh winters and snow so heavy it could collapse the roof of your home. I don’t want to spend all my free time preparing to shovel snow, actually shoveling snow and then recovering from shoveling snow before going out to do it again but, by golly, a little snow would be nice.

We finally had some flurries here yesterday that had everyone in a tizzy on Friday. It was just a dusting and never anything measurable. The biggest threat to life, limb and electricity was the high wind that could easily thrust thousands into the darkness with the upset of a single tree. 

We had planned a hike but the wind was harsh and Scout was feeling poorly. So, instead, I stayed in. I showered and dressed so as to not be caught with dirty hair if the power went out. I  did a few chores and cleaned up some messes Scout made in the night. I sat on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate, lamenting how I abandoned the all or nothing philosophies of the Whole 30 on day eight – not for lack of willpower but for lack of any practical way to make it work last week. I turned down a couple of invitations to go do things and opted for a book and blanket on the loveseat where I could enjoy the stormy clouds of a winter afternoon. 

I read from a John Irving book and looked up quotes by A.A. Milne, the man who gave us Winnie the Pooh, Rabbit and Piglet too. I contemplated which character I would be before deciding I have characteristics of them all. Perhaps that’s what makes them popular. Every character is relatable in some way. Classical piano music played softly from a favorite Youtube channel and the prospects of a delicious taco salad to end the day kept me looking forward to supper with my fella. 

Snow flurries outside my window created the atmosphere of a snow globe. 

Luckily for me, I had nowhere to go and nothing to do once I got there and the day was perfect. The only thing lacking was the measurable snowfall that I fear might never come this winter. Those Charlie Brown kids had no idea how lucky they were to have so much snow to play in and enjoy. 

This is a long weekend for many of us in the States. Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and banks are closed so I hope to maintain my streak of staying in and cozy until Tuesday morning when the real world comes banging on my door again. Here’s hoping you have this time off as well and are warm and cozy.

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

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In the words of Simon and Garfunkel “Hello darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again.”

Here in America this weekend, we will “fall backward” as we change the time again. This weekend marks a period when we suddenly notice the days getting shorter and the nights lasting much longer.

There’s a meme that keeps popping up in my social media feeds. It says something like “Summer is over. It’s dark, rainy and cold. I hope you’re happy you pumpkin spice loving freaks.”

I’m the queen of scrolling past messages that don’t interest me but this always strikes a chord.

Before I start, I want to acknowledge those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you have been diagnosed, my condolences. Life is about to get hard again.

However, I’m kind of excited about this time change and hope there are others like me somewhere in Ohio. See, Ohio summer seems to be a little longer every single year. It’s hot and too humid to actually enjoy outdoor time so life has to be planned to avoid the worst parts of the day or be limited to the air conditioning. This stretch from May through early September is not remotely fun.

Yet, there are lots of opportunities to run around and have fun. Vacations, day trips, county fairs, festivals, flea markets and other activities happen all the time.

I work hard to make sure I can still enjoy life in the summer despite the fact the sun will burn my poor, pale skin to a crisp if I spend too much time outdoors.

The time change in November brings all the fun of summer and festivities of fall to a grinding halt. Darkness arrives early and the sun rises late. It’s cold and the weather turns volatile.

You know what else happens?

Life slows down and interests turn inward. It suddenly is the perfect time for movie marathons and long books. Bubble baths, new hobbies, restful nights and small indoor projects become more prominent.

What’s not to love about soup simmering on the stove and a piping hot beverage enjoyed from beneath a blanket?

I read more, catch up on podcasts, and sleep more soundly, I tidy kitchen cabinets and experiment with my food.

Time spent outdoors gives us fresh, crisp air to cleanse our lungs and energize our souls. Plus, the best part of going outside is coming back in to get warm.

Life becomes cozy. Life becomes easier. It becomes happier if you allow it..

One key to happiness is finding ways to enjoy your day, no matter the circumstances. As we approach the time change this weekend, I encourage you to seek out ways to be happy – even if you don’t like the weather.

Plan a family game night or a trip to the library for some fresh reading materials. Buy yourself some grocery store flowers and bake cookies.

Everyone certainly doesn’t need to like the same things but I hate to think of anyone being so miserable for entire months of the year. Life is too short to throw away an entire season of potential happiness.

Sometimes in life, the very best things are those you didn’t ask for and think you don’t want. Why not give this winter thing a chance? Even if you don’t love it, just looking for ways to make it more tolerable will indeed make it a happier time.

In Like A Lamb

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Appalachian people hold closely the old wive’s tale that when March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb. So if the weather is bad on the first, it should be mild on the 31st. Here in southern Ohio, March arrived gentle as a newborn lamb so we assume that the month will go roaring out.

Another superstition tells us that it will snow three times on the forsythia bloom.Well, it was 75 degrees and sunny for the forsythia bloom yesterday. The evening ended with a thunderstorm. No snow in sight.

Will we see snow this month? Will this fool’s spring succumb to cold and snow when the real spring should be arriving?

Probably so and I’m sorry for that. As much as I enjoy winter with its cold and snow, I’m always ready for spring by early March. Anything different feels like regression and that sounds terrible.