Well, it appears as though Winter has arrived on the East Coast. The calendar might not agree but the temperatures and driving conditions say otherwise. Am I ready for winter? No. Certainly not. But would I ever be? Probably not.
It seems as this long stretch of bleak, cold windy days is staring me in the face and I’m not sure how to deal with it. I know that it’ll come every year and each year is different, some years there more snow, others more ice. If I could pre-order my winter, I’d order it was a medium amount of snow that stayed the whole time, so that it always looked pretty, there’s nothing worse than a bleak, cold landscape without any snow. I would order sunny days and nights with gently falling snow. I would order winter light on the wind, like I order my donair pizzas light on the onions.
It’s only November. Is it too early to be thinking about how long winter might be this year? I dread the cold. I dread frozen water buckets, crappy drives home in the snow and short amounts of daylight hours. I don’t enjoy when all plans come with the ‘as long as the weather is good’ disclaimer.
What I do love is storm days when we’re all home together, how the sun reflects off the freshly fallen snow and how pretty the trees are when they are laced with snow that has gently settled on their branches. And there is something about a snowshoe at night, taking in the woods by headlamp. { Shhh, but the girls are getting new snowshoes under the Christmas tree since they outgrew their other snowshoes! }
I’ve been spending my evenings watching Christmas movies on Netflix, working on a weaving and snuggled under a blanket. I want to sip hot beverages all day but settle for coffee in the morning and maybe a cup of tea during the day at work. I’d be happy with a hot mug in my hand all day – coffee, tea, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, I’m not fussy, I just like the comfort it brings.
I’ve been lighting candles in the evening, too. That’s kind of a new thing for me, I never did that consistently but really am enjoying the added warmth it brings to our home.
The time has come to dig out the flannel sheets. I have already started sleeping in my oh-so-attractive flannel night gown…lucky Mr. Byrne ;)….but it will soon be time for a little more cozy. I have already slept with wool socks on, too. Hannah has been sleeping with a toque on for months now. I do love lots of nice heavy blankets on the bed at night, makes me feel all safe and cozy. My one issue is sleeping in a flannel nightgown with flannel sheets is like sleeping in velcro…does anyone else find that?
Anyway, come January I may need an intervention, you may find me rocking in a corner. But for now, I’ll just enjoy the beauty that the snow brings!
To be continued,
Lori
