Will You Chase or Embrace…..

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Will you chase away or embrace the winter blues? 

I am challenged by the winter season, the reduced sunlight, and the occasional blues.

The weather, our climate, the earth’s rotation, and the orbiting of the sun and moon, are all out of our control, despite our strong opinions.

I plan to stay in my current house for the foreseeable future. I love living in the woods near our quaint and historic little town of Hillsborough. We enjoy local music, culture, and the arts, in the nearby university towns. 

With these two factors in mind, I made a deliberate decision many years ago to get a grip on winter.

I decided to embrace the season of cold temperatures and look for all of its virtues. I made a list. 

My strategy worked. Each fall as the daylight wanes, I remember all of the things I like about winter. It is intentional. It gives me focus.

Here are a few of my winter delights:

❄️Movies to watch and books to read. My stack gets smaller.

❄️Brisk walks in the woods. There are no bugs.

❄️Lots of good cooking. Stews, soups, pies, and new recipes.

❄️Frozen fresh berries from the previous season. Health boost. 

❄️Fires in the fireplace. Add a candle or two and cozy is the word.

❄️Winter photography. I love taking pictures.

❄️Planning the rest of the year. Trips, house projects, the garden.

❄️Feeding the birds and watching them out the window.image

❄️Wearing my slippers. Sounds silly, I know…..

❄️Downsizing and cleaning out. A tad boring. Simplifying is good.

❄️More tea. I love my Nighty Night tea.

❄️Local music and theater. Winter outings with friends.

❄️Snow days. Short and sweet, please. 

Some are silly, some are simple, and some our kids tease us about, mercilessly!

Some are easy and some are inconsequential.

But they all add up and make a difference. I feel empowered. I have conquered.

imageWith a new appreciation, I now anticipate and revel in the starkness of winter.  The shadows, the specs of color in the gray, the crunching of leaves as I walk, the tangling of branches, the pageantry of birds, the dappled sunlight, sharper sounds, the muskiness of wet earth, the uplifting scent of pine, the curls and colors of lichen, the soft texture of moss…..

When the mood starts to creep in, I go to my list.

I would love to know your favorite things to do or see in the winter. Please share! And might I suggest you create a list…..

Sending warmth and wintery cheer your way!

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This is a photo of a Japanese Paperbush. It blooms in the winter and makes me smile!

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Comments

Will You Chase or Embrace….. — 8 Comments

  1. Wonderful suggestions for beating the winter blues, Judy. River walk is awesome! Like Barbara, I enjoy crafting in the winter. Working with bright colors is a contrast to the starkness of the outdoors. I also like to watch the sunrise and sunset daily. The clear cold air concentrates the colors like no other time of year.

  2. What a beautiful post Judy. Many of your strategies are my own. I “craft” during the winter. I find card designs that I like and replicate them for the most part. I havent found my winter place other than the comforting warmth of my home but I will keep looking

    • Lovely to make cards in the winter, Barbara. Do you draw? And your winter place can be your warm and cozy home! I think I love my home more in the winter than any other season for that reason.Interesting thought……
      Thank you for sharing another idea for the list….crafting.

  3. Yes! I have been reveling in the starkness too! My new favorite thing is to walk Hillsborough’s riverwalk and realize that in the winter, I can see the gorgeous river better than any other time of the year. It took me many years to get to my winter place. I am so happy.

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