Reasons Not to Hate Winter

At one time my theme song was, “I Hate Winter!” Oh wait, that was yesterday. Raise your hands; how many of you are just a little bit grumpy from all the ice, snow and sub-zero temperatures? Yeah, me too!

Last night I returned from a ten-day trip. As I shared in last week’s post, the purpose of my journey was for my son’s wedding. Since my hatred of winter is no secret to my family, we decided to add some travel to our wedding trip. Surely our destinations will be warmer and we’ll get a small reprieve from the bitter cold and snow of the Midwest. HA!

Kansas City was almost as cold as Kokomo, and even usually warmer Arkansas, wasn’t. So much for my winter escape. Time to just start dreaming of spring. NOT SO FAST!

I am a firm believer of never dreaming away today. Today is our glorious gift. It is not to be frittered away, squandered or wasted in regret, wishing for something different, or a bad attitude. Carpe diem! Seize the day while you are able to seize it, even a winter day.

About now, you will begin seeing photos on social media of glorious spring flowers along with a count down until spring. I too like to dream of spring but dreaming of the next season is a dangerous habit to get into. Enjoy the day before you. Make the most of it. Find a reason to enjoy the day, engage fully in the joys it has to offer and fully love the people in it. Carpe diem!

While visiting my Dad in Arkansas we pulled out the family tree. Thinking about who came before me fascinates me. People who lived full lives were now only names in boxes connected to other names in boxes. In the past three weeks, I had a birthday, attended a funeral and a child’s wedding. Time is plodding along. It never stops or takes a time-out. It progresses forward in winter, spring, summer and fall. It waits for no one. Not to sound depressing, but one day our race will end and we should be sure that EVERY day was seized. Don’t merely be a name in a box.

Seize the winter. Enjoy what this season has to offer. Make the most of your least favorite season. Let’s take a note from Pollyanna and find a reason to be glad about winter. It might just turn into a season you enjoy.

Winter is Beautiful

Every season contains beauty and winter is no different. My daughter and blog photographer Anna enjoyed a stroll in Arkansas and took the beautiful winter photos in this post. In Arkansas water seeps through the limestone rock and in winter it creates beautiful frozen cascades, seeming to hang midair upon the rocks.

Take your own winter stroll. Notice the beauty of the season. We tend to venture outside only to rush to our cars. Your assignment this winter is to take at least one outside stroll. Find something beautiful to photograph on your phone. Notice how stunning a winter wonderland can be. Icicles, frost on windows, animal prints in snow, bundle up and find what winter has to offer. I’d love to see your photos and share some of them. Email your winter treasures to debbiespence5@gmail.com

Winter is a Time-out

When spring arrives so does a quicker pace. When the sun burns longer, so do we. Winter gives us a natural incentive to end our day a little sooner. In winter our family actually eats dinner at dinner time. During the long days of summer our family eats as late as 9 PM. The long days temp us to just keep going as long as it is light.

The yard and garden are sound asleep in winter. They don’t need our time or attention. In winter the board games can come out and an evening of card games doesn’t feel like you are wasting any time at all.

The short days of winter cause us to rest more and give our bodies and minds the break they need.

Winter is a Time to be Productive

When it is cold I tend to choose to stay home. I become a homebody which turns out to be a good thing. Projects that I forget when the lovely weather is calling, get my attention. In spring the garden calls. In summer I want to be outside – period. Winter is the perfect season to get indoor projects done.

I actually enjoy cleaning and organizing when it’s not keeping me from something I enjoy doing outside. Winter is a great time to deep clean as you put away the Christmas decorations. It’s a great time to organize closets, desks, paperwork, recipes and photo albums.

Winter gives you time to download photos, clean out emails and follow-up on those sites you saved for later on Facebook. Winter is catch-up time.

Winter is also the perfect time to plan for the year ahead. A cold day hunkered indoors gives us time and opportunity to plan the year that lays before us. It’s a perfect time to plan vacations, set goals, plan the garden and make practical determinations of what you will accomplish this year.

Winter is Time for Leisure

A roaring fire is an indoor delight on an unpleasant day. Snuggly blankets and fuzzy slippers are our cohorts on frigid days and they envelop us in warmth and coziness that seeps into our soul. There is something deeply calming and soothing about wrapping up in a warm blanket that creates a deep sense of wellbeing. Winter’s gift is that it compels us to stop our busyness and envelop ourselves in warmth and self-care.

Winter is the perfect season for reading, writing letters and filling journals with our thoughts. It’s the perfect time to visit with friends, sip tea and lose yourself in a delicious recipe as you uncharacteristically hangout in your kitchen. Naps, bubble baths, knitting and fireside picnics are all ways to leisurely enjoy the season.

Winter is perfect for piddling, dillydallying, and toying with trinkets. Drawers full of knick-knacks become treasure troves, and bookstores become an afternoon refuge. There’s time to look at each booth at your nearest antique market and your pile of decorating magazines are an escape and also the first step in some goal setting.

Winter is Time for Fun

Don’t let the cold keep you shut in. There is plenty of fun waiting outside your door. A frozen puddle or homemade ice rink is a great place to prepare for the upcoming Winter Olympics. My girls love to ice skate on our homemade rink. We’ve purchased new skates on sale for $20. We have a friend who finds plenty of cast off ice skates at Good Will. 2x4s create the framework for a tarp filled with frozen water. Easy!

I’m 57 and I still love sledding. We received a magical snowfall on Christmas Eve this past year and I went sledding with my family. My two-year-old grand daughter and I got to squeal together as we sped down our small hill. Sled while you still can.

Our family has played hockey on our frozen creek with brooms and a tin can lid. We’ve roasted marshmallows in the snow huddled around a bonfire. I’ve wrapped myself in wool blankets and sat by a fire pit while I’ve watched my girls ice skate. “Watch me, watch me!” are words that will one day cease, so watch while you can.

This next idea may not be an easy one, but do it if you can. As a homeschooling mom, I’m the owner of a microscope. It usually sits on a shelf gathering dust. Snowflakes fascinate me so I took my microscope and some blank slides outside. I Let them get cold. Then while it snowed, I caught flakes on my blank slide then viewed them under the microscope. If you have an old microscope laying around do this! It was amazing! If you don’t have a microscope, get black paper and a magnifying glass. Discover the jewels of winter.

My Winter Resolve

I may grumble now and then when the mercury drops or I may find myself day dreaming of tropical shores, but winter truly is a season to enjoy. Every season, every moment, every day should be lived to its fullest. Join me as I make a new proclamation. I Love Winter. Winter is not that bad!

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If you haven’t already enjoyed my FREE eBook, 24 Everyday Simple Pleasures download it here. Simple pleasures are small events that can take place at any moment in our day. When we recognize these opportunities, we find refuge in an overwhelming world. Learning to linger in moments we used to pass by, opens a whole new world of simple pleasures for us to enjoy. A change in perspective is refreshing and enjoyable. This book will prime the pump for a new perspective, so download it today.

https://www.debbiespence.com/24-simple-pleasures-ebook/

 

Coming soon…

The “Beat the Blues” winter give-away.

Some amazing friends are joining me as we create our “Beat the Winter Blues Box.” Watch for it and be sure to enter! Details coming soon.