Winter Snapshots

Things I know about myself + winter:

1) I will go crazy without a hike outside once a week.
2) My eyes soak in every bit of color in the woods.  Green moss becomes treasure.
3) Grapefruit season will be cherished and celebrated. 
4) "Beware the barrenness of a busy life" is a quote I repeat to myself weekly.
5) The best nights are filled with faerie lights and candles burning.
6) I will start counting down to spring break at the end of January.
7) I will hear the first tweeting of birds soon after.
8) The tedium of winter will always be the hardest.  The same sky.  The same clothes.  The same routine in the dark every morning.  The endless sweet potatoes + brown rice combinations.
9) By the summer solstice I will respect winter once again.  For it makes spring and summer so much sweeter. 

Recent "Art" Work

A recent Chinese fortune taped onto a picture from a magazine.  "Art" right?

The Favorites

So far, this winter has been hard.  Some days I feel so gray.  Sometimes there is hardness in life that isn't simply healed by more self-talk or therapy. 

And sometimes the only things that provide the soul healing I need is laying in bed all day reading my favorites.  My favorites are the books that are dog-earred, sticky-noted, scratch covered, stained from years and days of re-reading and re-re-re-reading. These are the books (and blogs!) that reaffirm a life philosophy, remind me of better patterns of thinking, breath in encouragement, provide visual inspiration in contrast to the drab gray sky and brown trees, that make me laugh, sigh, and want to get up in a certain lightness and make that mango chicken curry right now. 

Today I did exactly this. 

Here is a photographic list of the favorites:

/Self Help

 /Cookbooks

/Food Memoirs

/Blogs:
-Aura Joon
-The Longest Acres

And after one spends a day soul healing through reading, it is important to get up, and dance to both of these songs:
1) Darkness on the Edge of Town
2) Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Ski Weekend 2015

I was reluctant to go on this weekend trip.  But I am glad I did.  I am not so coordinated at cross country skiing, falling many a times.  However, much solace was found in being outside.  At one point I went for an hour long solitary walk.  I dared myself to walk to the middle of the lake (being afraid of things that sink in big bodies of water) and took the time to examine little touches of nature along the way.  A thought that struck me, I would really enjoy winter more if I took the time to get outside more.  Nonetheless, a good weekend of big pots of chili, birch trees, nature, flannel, euchre, and old stories.

'Tis the season

Every year, I seem to think its a good idea to make some of my Christmas packaging.  Only to stress myself out a few days before Christmas.  However, this year I think I hit the head on the nail with both creative but non- fussy: watercolors. 

Sprouted Kitchen's Oatmeal Shortbread Cookies + Smitten Kitchen's Brownie Roll Out Cookies

Remember how last year I posted that I'm not a very good baker/don't bake well?  A year later, I LOL to that statement as that is all I seem to do lately.  This year, I started a new tradition of getting together with friends/family (this year it was a coworker) and baking several different holiday themed cookies.  T'was a lot of fun- and a holiday tradition that felt worthwhile. 

Boot selfies

Recovering from a hearty Thanksgiving this weekend.  Catching up with creativity whilst watching the Michigan- Ohio State game.  Finished the second Outlander book, read a few of my beloved cookbooks, snuggled with the dogs, chatted with sisters and cousins and parents.  Thanksgiving feels like the final farewell to fall as the snow starts creeping in more and more.  I'm ready for it.

Winter on the Farm

Pictured:

1) Lots and lots of wood.

2) The woods of the back 40

3) Snow pups. 

4) Buds

5) Buddy running the fields.

1, 2, 3) Playing with my new macro extension tube from Christmas.  Not really sure what I will be using it for yet...besides random pictures like the ones above.  Doesn't the third picture reminiscent of a la Aura?

 

1)  Morning cuppa

2) Snow boots

3) Deer! 

1) Snow balls.

2) The kitchen decorated for the winter....a string of lights, candles, pine needles from our pine trees in a big mason jar.  Makes for cozy evenings.

3) The wood pile for the front stove.  

4) Pine needles

5) The Farm a la the first polar vortex

 

1) The start of my new cooking resolution has brought a lot of baking.  Frankly, baking has always scared me but it has slowly started to become a very meditative winter practice for me-- kneading the dough, letting it rise, and repeat.

2) Lovely company and weekends filled with friends and family (Not pictured: Rochelle's visit, Corey's visit, Sister's weekend)

3) Rainbow sunset from the first bedroom.  

The first winter month was tough for me.  

 We had just had the most glorious fall season that seem to stretch on forever filled with naps in the fields, nature walks, and the most beautiful colored leaves.  In November, winter came on hard and fast seemingly all in one week.  Those first few weeks were tough because I wasn't used to the cold temperatures, building fires, or being housebound.  

Slowly but surely, I found my winter rhythm filled with baking, soaking in the light, the occasional winter hike and lots of projects.  I am thankful that I have stopped to take some pictures of both the adventures and small moments. 

My good friend Catherine and I were reflecting on the seasons this morning when she made a remark that summed up my now perspective of winter "It's so comforting to accept that the natural way of winter is to rest, sleep, eat hearty, and stay warm.  It's winter and this is what my body needs".  This slow, steady, restorative, reflective, introverted winter is exactly what I needed.  I've learned to fighting it and just let it be....