winter – Page 2

52 Weeks ~ Winter (48/52)

Snow-flakes

Out of the bosom of the Air,
  Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
  Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
   Silent, and soft, and slow
   Descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take
  Suddenly shape in some divine expression,
Even as the troubled heart doth make
  In the white countenance confession,
   The troubled sky reveals
   The grief it feels.

This is the poem of the air,
  Slowly in silent syllables recorded;
This is the secret of despair,
  Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,
   Now whispered and revealed
   To wood and field.

–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Wintry mix

I’m home alone today, with no work to do, my piles of papers filed, the tax packet ready to send off, my office more or less cleaned, and nothing I must do.

The weather outside is a bit nasty, with what they like to call “wintry mix” falling. The term wintry mix might sound to some resident of the tropics like the name of an annual flower seed mixture, but it’s decidedly not that. The technical definition is: “yuck from the sky.”

But also throw into the mix:

One wood stove purring along gently, throwing its glow and heat in my specific direction. One cat stretched out in front of said stove, hogging the entire dog bed. Another cat installed practically underneath the stove. One mug of freshly brewed tea. One stack of books to be browsed. One fully-charged computer. One darling husband who took Mr. Needy Dog away for the day. One daughter happily busy at school. One barn full of goats, safe and cozy and independent until at least mid-afternoon. One fully-stocked refrigerator.

And hours. And hours. And hours.

Wordless Wednesday ~ The world was ice

Quick Start: Curing the mid-winter blues

Use the following procedure to restore your good humor when you’ve been unreasonably glum for too long because of a) lack of warmth and b) lack of sunshine.

Make plans to visit your sister for the weekend in a nearby city.
Plan to arrive on an evening when she is hosting a dinner party, preferably one where delicious home-made Mexican food will be served and to which several interesting, articulate, food-loving guests have been invited.
Talk, eat, laugh, and drink margaritas.
Stay up late and watch silly, fun, grownup television.
Get into a bed equipped with many pillows, warm blankets, and a hot water bottle.
The next morning, do not get out of bed early. Wake up as early as you like, but stay there in that warm bed, thinking your thoughts, revisiting your dreams, and mulling over the long, plan-free, chore-free day ahead.
Check out a delicious Middle Eastern bakery and gulp down a piece of cheese/phyllo pastry in an embarrassingly short amount of time.
Go to a fun movie.
Go out to dinner someplace that does not have chicken fingers on the menu.
The next morning, take your sister’s dog for a walk through the snow-buried neighborhood.
Watch the dog and his friend romp in the chest-high snow.
Run some errands, starting with the best place for cupcakes, and ending at the best place for things you truly don’t need but want anyway.
Drive home on a clear, sunny afternoon.
Arrive home to flowers and a sweet note.
Realize that February is right around the corner. February, the gateway to March.