Skip to main content

Top TEN Things to do to Beat the Winter Blahs

Forgive me.  My typing will be slow and weak this morning.  I just walked a half mile carrying a jug of milk and my fingers are frozen.  But while I walked I was writing...

Top ____ Things to do to Beat the Winter Blahs: all for free!

1.  Go for a walk.  It is a beautiful sunny day despite the 20 degree temperatures.  It made me feel better.

2.  Buy milk while you're out on your walk.  It will make you feel productive.

3.  Write something.  Write a poem or a blog or a Valentine to someone you would never send it to.  Or someone who is due a Valentine from you.

4.  Light a fire.  Especially when your husband, who doesn't like fires, is out.  It will warm your soul.  Or at least light a candle, especially if your husband, who is out, is on his way home.  It almost works the same way.

5.  Read a book.  Or collect a bunch of books you have no intention of reading.  It will make you feel less lonely.  There are others out there who spent countless hours alone writing these books.  Here is my current booklist:
Cleopatra, by Stacy Schiff
Home Comforts, by Cheryl Mendelson
The Lazy Couponer, by Jamie Chase
Grocery Gardening, by JeanAnn VanKrevelen
Kitchen Gardens, by Cathy Wilkinson Barash
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, because I'm trying to convince Annie of the pleasures of the classics
Eggs, by Jerry Spinelli, because I'm trying to convince Matt of the pleasures of reading in general
Sugar Changed the World, by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos
The Architecture of Happiness, by Alain deBotton    (This is a book that makes me say, Why didn't anyone tell me about this sooner?  This book is so cool and just what I've always been looking for!  He says, "Where we are heavily influences who we can be, and it is architecture's task to stand as a neloquent reminder of our full potential."  Wow, cool, huh?)

If these don't appeal to you, try Blue Pyramid Book Quizzes.  Really cool!

6.  Make cookies.  You don't need fancy ingredients.  A cookie is just butter, sugar, eggs and flour, practically in that order.  You have oatmeal, put that in.  You have cocoa powder, put that in.  You have chocolates left from Christmas, put those in.  Maybe not all of the above, but maybe?  If you don't feel like baking, find a Girl Scout.  It's Girl Scout Cookie Season. 

7.  Eat cookies, preferably with a hot beverage, like tea, or a latte, or hot chocolate.  Eat the whole tray/box if you want. You have plenty of time to work it off before Memorial Day and swimsuit season. 

8.  Go out at night.  Last night we almost went for a ride to find the full-moon-glistening-somewhere- on-a-snowy-field.  Then life happened and we didn't go. But it was still a good idea.  Maybe tonight?

9.  Plan a garden.  See my garden books?  I'm planning for spring.  Cut out pictures or find them on the internet, or on pinterest.  But be careful, that site is addictive.

10.  If all else fails take a nap with a warm, soft, heavy blanket.   This is hibernation season. 

I made it to ten.  Make your own list, maybe of things you like about spring! :)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Seeds

 Last night I ran to Target to get lettuce for Taco Tuesday. It wouldn't be the same if we didn't have tacos and I didn't want to disappoint Charlie. Charlie doesn't even live here right now, but for some reason, it is important to continue these traditions and be able to tell him that we had Tacos on Tuesday.  Anyway, in Target there was a whole display of seed packets, brightly colored, shiny packets, with pictures of everything from Okra to peas to sunflowers to Sweet Williams. I stood there a moment holding my lettuce. The packets were nicely organized and so appealing. The sun in the pictures made the flowers glisten just so. It's hard to believe these little envelopes could contain so much goodness inside.  I know we've heard this analogy before - water that which you want to grow , and plant seeds of kindness, but for some reason last night it struck me differently. Sometimes it's messy. My garden right now is a mess. We removed the old tomato plants...

Connecting

Often we hear about how important it is to grow, stretch our wings, reach out. I've heard from astrology friends that the planets are aligned in a new way right now and that this is an incredible time to bring new things into our lives. But what? you ask. What am I trying to do, what am I trying to grow toward? The only way to answer that is to be grounded, to be deeply rooted in who we are. Then we'll know where to grow, how to grow, and what we need.  So how do we get there? First, we have to go back to what we wanted as young 20-somethings. What were you dreaming of then? How has your life matched those goals? How has it veered off course? Are there dreams that have been dormant? Just lingering beneath the surface? When we connect back to our truest selves, the ones that existed before kids, before marriage, before time and life took a toll on us, what does that self still yearn for? Going back to our roots, connecting to our inner child, our inner voice will encourage us to...

What Is Grief?

 What is grief? It is standing in the shower and  you are suddenly crying and then you are sobbing. And you barely thought about it in the two days since you heard  your Uncle Rich passed. You thought about your dad and your cousins and your aunt and how sad they must be and you checked in on your dad. "I'm so so sorry." And you went to work and you did what you had to do. And now you are ready for another day and you are thinking of all the things and then you are crying and you are little again and vulnerable  and your heart hurts. And you remember everyone. Medford Lakes and a swimming pool and laughing so hard  and dancing around a Christmas tree and fireworks by the lake at night. And you can see his face and all their faces smiling Aunts and uncles and cousins and brothers who aren't here. And you remember his voice, deep and laughing, and you remember his kindness and his advice. "Are you taking vitamin C, Joannie?" You see all their faces and you mis...