Dead of Winter

We are in the thick of it, winter, that is, and this year "mom nature" has thrown everything she has up her sleeve at us. Thursday we had the very rare occurrence of freezing rain. We had fog, inversion, snow in all it's forms and bitter cold to boot. There has been bitter cold (pipes freezing, breaking, and winter ills of all sort.)  Monday morning, the commute was a horror (thankfully my commute is short), but early in the day the skies cleared and we enjoyed the beauty that is a January day, sun and pure white snow. More snow is expected this week and the inversion will start to make its return when the storms are over.  Oh joy, tis dead of winter.

There is no way to get around the season that is winter (nor the month that is January), that is unless you move to the equator (and I'm not about to do that), so here are a few of the things I do to get over myself and fend off the winter blahs.

Unless it isn't safe, get out of your house and walk around the block. If you read this blog it's likely you make wooly things, so wrap up in some of them and get moving. If nothing else, you'll be super happy when you come back into your warm home. If you absolutely refuse to get out in the cold and enjoy what you can of nature, then get to the gym. That's what I'm doing. The whole "Just do it?" that's what you do. New shoes help.

Do what you love to do, such as knit something new and WARM!  Make a new hat, make a quick pair of mitts, or slippers. (Quick and warm being the operative words.)

Give of your talents to others, such as, bake the neighbor a cake or a batch of cookies. Give time to a favorite charity. Give a smile, or let another car into your lane on the freeway. Buy lunch or cup of coffee for the person behind you in line.

Watch the birds. I saw a bird fluttering its wings just to stay still long enough to drink from a dripping ice-cycle. It was one of the coolest things ever.

Make a delicious warm meal, like veggie soup, or chili (I made this recipe over the weekend, but modified it by leaving out the beans and the brown sugar. They were not missed and it was delish!). I'm going to try this recipe very soon.

Buy seeds and layout plans for your garden. When the seeds begin to arrive (as ours have) you'll have tangible proof spring isn't far away. By the end of February you'll be able to plant seeds starts to get a jump on the growing season.

Go out and make a snowman or snow angels. Laugh, play, throw snowballs, and then come in and get warm with a big bowl of chili and your knitting!

This is my attempt to do Ten on Tuesday with Carole and the gang.

Comments

[Carole]

Great ideas for beating the winter blahs! I especially like the part about watching the birds. We have lots of them this time of year and I love to see them at our feeders.

[Issy]

We did our seed order on Sunday from here
http://sowtrueseed.com
It was a warming experience!

[Kym]

Such a perfect list, Margene! When the winter blahs hit (and they will!!!), it's usually best to just "buy in" and enjoy the season for what it is! (And besides. . . it's almost February!)

[CindyCindy]

We have ONE more crappy month. My least favorite month, February. We're going to make it and you are getting much needed moisture. It has been a weird weird winter, though. We had 74 yesterday and it's 63 this morning. Tomorrow morning 30. Just knit on!!!!

[Kim]

Great ideas!! How cool to see the bird like that.

[Margaret]

I'm actually enjoying the winter here in Nebraska this year. Last year we had days where we were in the 70's and one day in February we were in the 80's! This year, the highest temp so far has been in the 50's. (Then it dropped about 30 degrees the next day, and maybe about 20 degrees the day after that so everyone was cold and complaining.) Besides weather patterns that make us jump around 30 degrees in twenty-four hours, I like winter because it gives allergies a rest.

[Dianne]

Watching the birds is fun! There are a couple cardinals that live in my neighborhood and I love when I spot them flittering about! (They're rare in my area)

[Birdsong]

This post is just lovely! It is hard to find joy in bone weary cold or bad air, but you have. I have been walking during lunch break, so I can see the nature I miss walking the track with a headlamp on @ 6 am. Spring really IS getting closer, as evidenced by visibly longer days.

[Monica]

wonderful ideas and i second the idea of getting outside - just dress for it - it does wonders for the mood - yesterday afternoon was just beautiful

[Donna]

Getting outside is something I need to make myself do. I find as I get older I have less tolerance for the cold! Stay warm out there!

[Chris]

I'm with Donna - it gets harder and harder to drag myself out of the house in the winter...

[Cheryl S.]

Yesterday would have been an awesome day to play in the snow, but I was too tired after all of the shoveling.

Had to rescue the neighbor's kitty AGAIN from under our deck. We still haven't figured out how she could possibly get in there unless someone opened the door, and neither of us did.

The chicken looks really yummy. One of my favorite childhood recipes that my mom made was Chicken Cacciatore.

[Jo]

While visiting Alaska, I interviewed residents about how they survived the long winter days. Several told me that they got outside for at least a few minutes every day! The other thing was planning fun things to look forward to rather than just holing up!

[Stephie]

Great ideas! I think I will do a few of them!

[Susan]

Omigosh, birds! Now that you mention them, I'm having the hardest time figuring out when the last time I saw a bird was. I don't know where they go when it's so cold out here. We haven't had a bird feeder since the tree we hung all the feeders on was knocked down in a storm.

[Kristi aka FiberFool]

That's a great list, Margene! I think we knitterly/creative types are on similar pages on how to banish the mid-winter blahs!

[Julia in KW]

Awesome list! Fortunately, I can't spend the day at home - I know I would just be staring out at the bird feeders...watching, watching, watching...ooing and awing! I could watch birds forever! (I'd be knitting something easy while I watched!) ;)