Kinda Sorta Winterish

Today we have something like winter happening.  It is snowing and in the mid-20s.  Tomorrow it is supposed to be sunny and in the mid 40s, but for today, I will take this winter-like stuff.  The heat actually came on in the daylight, which it has only done once or twice since we finally turned it on 3 weeks ago--usually it just comes on once or twice at night.  I have some split pea soup in my 7 quart Crock Pot, lots of stuff to listen to on BBC, and a sock cuff to knit.  I have some dark chocolate truffle coffee left to drink and plenty of tea to brew once that is gone.  In addition to the jeans and sweater, I have on a mohair lace shawl, a pair of alpaca socks and a pair of wool/mohair slippers over them.  I am prepared.  I am content. And now I am off to enjoy this little taste of winter--the way things are going, it may be the only taste I get!!

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Celebrating the Snow

We finally got some real snow. It started the other day and hasn't really stopped yet. It was kind of crazy out there on Saturday night and Sunday. I understand that we got 14 inches of snow yesterday alone. Fortunately, it is the light, fluffy kind of snow as it's been in the teens. This makes shoveling much easier, since the snow is piling up along the sidewalk and it would be so much harder to hoist a shovel full of wet, heavy snow up to dump it. Most people seem to be not bothering to clear their walks, so it becomes necessary to walk in the street. We walked in some blizzard-like conditions yesterday morning going to church. It finally feels like winter. I am happy to see it, but I wish it had come two weeks sooner.
There is something about days like this that put me in a calm and peaceful state of mind. There was hardly anyone at church yesterday—only about 10 of us. It seemed different somehow with so few people. We did get a ride home from a new friend who gave me a snowflake she had tatted! It is beautiful and it was so appropriate for the day! Once we got home, I hung up my snowflake where I can look at it from my spot on the couch, Bill did some shoveling and I made some lunch. We had some tea. We read and watched the snow fall. I made a big pot of soup for dinner and took some whole wheat oatmeal rolls that I had made a couple of days ago and turned them into garlic bread. More reading, more tea. I made Bill a hat. All the while I felt a deep sense of peace. It's a feeling I never have in the summer and I rarely have when the sun is shining. It's so quiet out there. It is on days like yesterday when I feel most in touch with the deepest part of myself. It was a great day. I had a walk in the snow, time with new friends, books, tea, yarn, homemade soup and bread. I had peace. I felt joy. Maybe it was good after all that the storm came when it did, just as I was starting to feel sad at the end of the holiday season. Maybe there's a lesson here about looking at what each day brings and finding something to celebrate. So today I will look at the snowflakes falling, make some tea, and read, I think, a novel that Bill gave me several weeks ago. I have plenty of soup left. I have my yarn ready to begin my next hat. We have done our morning shoveling and it remains to be seen whether we will need to do it again later. Bill has moved the truck and parked it on the other side of the street (we have to move it every day or risk a ticket). There is nowhere we have to be. I will just be here, appreciating the simple joys of a quiet day.

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Storm in Winter

There's a storm coming. Or so they tell us. Buffalo has already gotten some snow. We have rain, which is supposed to continue through the day and turn to snow later. That is supposed to be with us for a couple of days along with high winds. I know this is a real problem for people who have to be out in it. Driving won't be fun. I feel for them. But for me, it is a joy. We went grocery shopping yesterday. We've been to the library. We have what we need. We don't have to be anywhere. It is what I have been waiting for. The sky is grey. The rain is falling. It's so quiet. I know that I have these couple of days before me where it is best to stay home. I have plenty of crocheting to do, Christmas music to listen to, tea to brew, books to read. It feels like winter. It feels sacred. It feels like I can stop and just be for a couple of days. Soon it will be the winter solstice. The days will get incrementally longer. I will begin to dread the season that is to come. I will start to mentally prepare myself to get through it. No matter how much I try to accept and even enjoy spring and summer, I always feel out of sorts then. I get depressed every spring. I enter survival mode in summer. There are good moments, but overall, the feeling is one of wanting it to be over. I am a winter person. That is where I truly live. Spring will come. Summer will arrive. I will get through it. But for this day, I can feel winter and be at home and at peace.

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