1 freaking degree.
(presses pillow to face) GAHHH:OIF:OWEIUF:OIWEH:OIH
I'm trying my best to fight the seasonal blues this winter. But I am a creature of warmth. And really, if you want to get technical about it, aren't we all?! We could survive naturally in the heat of July, as long as we could find some water and shade. But without furnaces and big warm houses and puffy marshmallow coats, we wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in Wisconsin winters.
(Okay, so that appropriated saying didn't quite work here, since snowballs actually stand a pretty good chance in this weather. But you get the idea.)
The winter slows me down. Sluggish, unmotivated, moody. Sometimes I feel like a sloth, inching along a tree branch and then resting for a few hours, because jeez, that was hard work. Or like a little brown bear, hibernating in my warm cozy den. I'll see you in April, everybody.
Eeek! I'm cold!!!!!
More seriously, it's a little scary how drastically this weather affects my mood. I don't always notice the darkened feelings until the world starts to defrost. But on those rare warm, sunny days, I walk down the street and suddenly feel overwhelmed by a rush of gratitude for being alive, joy in my surroundings, general optimism, etc. And those lovely feelings make me notice how drastically they've been absent.
For me, it's harder to find those random bursts of thankfulness and joy in the deep frost of winter.
Once, walking home from the library, the fresh snowfall around me sparkled so beautifully that I didn't even notice how cold it was. Then again, that was back in home sweet Ann Arbor, which tends to be at least 10 degrees warmer than Madison. At this very moment, Ann Arbor is 18 degrees and Madison is -2.
Okay. Stop being negative.
Trying to remember the beautiful things about winter. Let's see.....
1. Hot chocolate and cider and cinnamon lattes.
2. Cuddling up beneath blankets and keeping each other warm.
3. Christmas movies and colorful lights and COOKIES.
4. Cute scarves and hats and big knit sweaters.
5. Pretty snowfalls.
6. Um......running out of ideas....
7. The joy (and painful prickling feeling) of coming inside from 1 degree weather?
8. Help! Need more ideas!
9. Fireplaces. Yes. Those are good.
10. Coffee shops with fireplaces.
11. Camping out with Phil in a coffee shop with a fireplace while pretty snow falls outside.
12. Wintery music. You know what I mean. Bon Iver, the National, other pretty things.
God, help me to focus on the good. Help me to find the warmth and sweetness of winter, to pluck the fruit when it's ripe, and not just hibernate until the summer awakens my soul again.
(But still, keeping my fingers crossed for a winter of 20+ degree temps and light, fluffy snow that does not clog up the roads and an early spring!!!!!! You never know.)
