“There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you…. In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.”
~Ruth Stout
Today I have a post on my other blog, Living From Happiness, in celebration of Winter. I have been contemplating winter and the gifts it gives us instead of thinking ahead with dread. Here’s a short excerpt of the post…..
Winter is a much maligned season…..yes you heard me correctly. When we say winter is coming, you don’t hear a joyful cheer rise up from the masses, especially if you live where there is snow. No instead there are groans and grumbles.
It is cold. The landscape looks brown or drab or worse covered in white for months on end. Outdoor activities are limited. And worst of all, it is dark and gray. Especially dark….we rise in the dark, go to work in the dark, and watch the sunset before we return home from work. We are eating in the dark, and if your internal clock is like mine, you want to go to bed by 7pm. Not a bright prospect for a season.
So I decided a few years back that I had to stop grumbling and complaining about winter. Instead I needed to find the good in winter…the gifts it brings us. And once found, I needed to embrace these gifts, and believe in the wonders winter can bring. And I do mean believe, for as we know our perceptions about something can color it either positive or negative.
I believe it is time to give winter the credit it is due. To bring winter out of the darkness, and into a more beautiful light. And I want to share winter’s gifts with you now, as the season approaches.
So what are these gifts, you ask? Take a look……
I hope you will pop over to read more about winter’s gifts….
As the solstice approaches and we ponder winter’s gifts, please join me on November 30th here, at Gardens Eye View, for my quarterly meme, Seasonal Celebrations.
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Please join me on November 19th, for the next issue of the newly published on-line magazine, Rural. I will have an excerpt of this post in the new issue.
The magazine is the creation of Jen@ The Light Laughed. Many of you may know Jen already from her new blog or from her days writing at her old blog Muddy Boot Dreams. I recently did an interview with Jen which was quite a treat for me.
I hope you will check out the last issue of this free online magazine. You can sign up to read the new issue of Rural here.
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Next up on the blog: Monday I will have another Native Plant profile for you to enjoy.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2015. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.
Again, really enjoyed this post! Winter does have a ton to offer. And I forgot to mention, the joys of sledding again. I feel a little old for sledding but now that my kids love it, I do it for them! It gets us outside breathing fresh air and then we get some hot cocoa and to sit by the fire. Can’t beat it!
Thanks so much for replying to both posts. When I was teaching we took our students sledding and oh we had so much fun….like you say to be a kid again…I agree you can’t beat it!
Donna, now that I escape it I sometimes miss it! I miss the really quiet days with a “lake effect” snowfall and the cardinal showing up at the bird feeder but I laughed when I told my husband that because I was like, that’s probably one or two days out of the whole winter! The rest are windy and cold to the point where I think every creature and plant are dying out there. I’m not sure I will even see the snowfall this year – I like to see the first snow.
I imagine it is different where there is not snow like we get. But wherever winter is I bet there are more down days to rest and imagine….I’ll post the first snow on FB for you if you leave before it arrives!
Donna, your post is timely and on target, as I’ve been trying to adjust my attitude to winter too. I’ve been making a Winter Garden of potted plants inside and lining up projects to do over winter, and I hope I will be successful in changing my attitude to winter. I wish you a cozy and contented winter season too! -Beth
Usually by now we have had our first measurable snow, but I can wait as I prepare more for the coming winter…it took me a couple of winters for the adjustment, and it does depend on how long and how cold the winter is I think…here’s wishing you a wonder season ahead Beth!
I don’t ski any more but my love of winter survives. Thanks for giving it its due.
It ids my pleasure….I used to snowshoe and hope to get back to it this winter.
I can’t bring winter out of the darkness, because it is so damn dark all the time!
I hear you…but I take solace in knowing that most of winter is in the lengthening light. At least our fall is extended this year.
Interesting. My thoughts echo those of the other Beth–almost exactly. I ran across an article the other day, suggesting that whenever I imagine or hear the phrase, “I have to … ,” to change it in my mind to, “I get to … .” So far, it seems to be helping. The hardest part about winter for me is the cold: I don’t tolerate it well. Adding layers helps, but then the adding and subtracting … and of course the getting out of bed part … tough stuff. But winter is visually stunning.
How interesting…must be the name Beth! 🙂 And the cold the last few years has been harsh…I use the “I get to…” phrase as well. Very helpful many times…thanks for reminding us!
You are so right, we really should stop grumbling and focus on the good points of winter. Snow and hoarfrost glittering in sunlight and moonlight is my favorite.
Two of my favorite things especially hoarfrost in the moonlight and at sunrise.
What a timely post. I do like winter with it’s dark cozy nights at home…. actually it’s autumn which I dread. Those first frosts and the letting go of the growing season, by the time snow flies I have no choice and just enjoy! (with earmuffs and a good coat of course)
As autumn moves ahead we keep our fingers crossed to keep the snow away, but once it gets dark it is inevitable isn’t it? Once the garden is completely gone, I think we do give in. I especially love the beauty of the first few snowfalls, Frank…
Here in Northern area the darkness is very long, now the day time is only 5-6 hours. So I make a special lighting for my home plants. I usually have many thing to do in winter: to visit my garden, to shovel snow, to put bulbs for forcing , etc. Moreover I like cross stitching and knitting in winter. I love your winter’s gift, Donna!
I often wonder how others who have more darkness in winter cope….it keeps me realistic that my winter is not so dark and long compared to others in the world. You definitely have a good plan Nadezda!
Thanks for pointing out some winter gifts! I LOVED the heart cloud on your other blog. My winter garden tends to be wet, drab and buried, not under snow, but under soggy, brown leaves. Even if we rake all the leaves from the lawns and paths, the fact is that most of my garden is in the woods. The good news is that our leaves rot quickly, and so by next spring most of them will be returning to the earth, where they add nutrients and improve the texture of the soil. So free fertilizer is another gift winter gives me!
So glad you enjoyed the post Deb….my leaves stay on my beds and grass and they rot easily during winter and into spring….so I agree….another wonderful gift of winter!
It may sound odd, but my favorite gift of winter is the light — the low-angled sunlight, the luminous glow when you wake up after an overnight snowfall, and the wonderful starlight of winter.
Jean thanks so much for reminding me about that light….it is happening today with a dusting of snow overnight and the low-angled sunlight shining on it this morning…bliss!