Thirty Lovely Winter Things
Once upon a time, before the pain and fatigue, I loved winter. I loved the frosty mornings. I loved the indoor-ness of winter. No crazy river-hikes or beach volleyball. No dirt biking or mountain climbing. Just books and friends and yummy food. The past years changed all that. Now I trudge through winter. Counting the days to spring. But, really, where does that leave me? Slogging through half of the year.
So I turned the prism, shone the light in another direction. What would I see?
- hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows
- sunshine on sparkling snow
- fresh baked cookies
- movie marathons and video-game binges (bonus: they do not waste a "beautiful day")
- snuggling under blankets
- rain-washed forests
- cozy pajamas, cozy socks, cosysoles
- frost-dusted branches and fields
- firesides
- no one suggesting hikes or bike rides
- long evenings in cozy houses with friends and red wine
- snowflakes tumbling from a silent sky
- winter sunshine (really, does it get more delicious than the petal-soft winter sun?)
- falling asleep to rain patter
- peppermint mochas
- snow-laden trees
- fun and funky hats
- green hills and mountains (in summer here, the grass turns golden-brown)
- dramatic humbling storms (without injuries, damages, or power outages :))
- travel in the off season (deserted beaches, short lines, easy parking!)
- scent of rain-soaked air
- frozen dewdrops
- kids laughing as they sled down snowy slopes
- not needing to wear (or buy!) sandals
- clouds. Piles of fluffy clouds or dark clouds or clouds shaped like dragons
- that first sip of hot sweet coffee in the morning
- the holidays. Love those winter holidays all about hanging out indoors and eating yummy foods :)
- winter birds. Around here, quick little juncos
- wonderful escapist books (best by a fireside, snuggled under cozy blankets, with a peppermint mocha :)
- And then in the last days of winter, those brave-green shoots pushing out of the cold-dark dirt. And this earth that seems barren is not dead at all. It is resting. It is quietly gathering energy as it welcomed last summer's song of blossoms and leaves, took it all unquestioning, and transformed it into a thousand possible new songs, new energy for new singing, a thousand possible bloomings. And this lost time, this chill-winter-time, is a sleeping of seasons. The downtime is beautiful too. The only ever-lasting thing is change.
Yes, I still adore winter :)
