Being Well-Rounded--It's a Good Thing

In the early morning darkness last Friday while I snatched the newspaper from our mailbox, our neighbor walked by with her dog. 

We spoke awhile and she told me, over at her house, winter is making her bonkers. She's just itching to get back outside--she's all about being outside in her yard, not inside the house.

Uh-oh. It's only January, after all, and there's whole months of winter left for us here.

I've learned I must be tough to survive these snowy Buffalo winters which can last even six months some years. And I must plan ahead and be smart and well-rounded, too.

There are projects which I leave specifically for the dead of winter, like painting rooms or stairs or furniture. There are books I save to read at a cozy table in front of a window and recipes I try for the first time and music I save, also (I'm currently listening to the soundtrack from Road to Perdition. Pretty stuff). I have friends who don't mind driving in winter and they can come visit me for lovely hours of chit-chat. 

And just think of all those un-interrupted hours for crafts!

I write lists in wintertime. I list what I'll plant in my garden come springtime and which flowers I'll need to buy. I list which home and yard improvements I'd like to make and the approximate costs of each.

Then of course, there's my life online. Wow, does that come in handy during these long Buffalo winters! I can stay in-touch with all of you, my friends, here at my blog or on Facebook or through email. I can send you ecards or encouraging little notes anytime. (Our neighbor pretty much just emails her daughter and grand-daughter. Hmm.) 

There's a whole other world here on the Internet! I can research anything--- recipes, the history of anything from movie stars' and authors' lives to train travel to, well, anything! Not to mention the movies and tv series I can instantly watch online at places like Netflix, Fancast or Hulu.

During our icy winter months I can rearrange furniture, write letters (you remember letters, don't you?), read magazines, organize drawers, watch dvd's, clean house or learn new skills. (I've become quite expert at making meals from 'nothing,' considering how I try to avoid supermarket shopping on snowy days.)

I've known a few people in my life who do One Thing--and they do that One Thing extremely well. I respect them greatly. But come winter, I'm thankful that I'm more just the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type. Give me these long dark days to putter, contemplate, pray, create and hang-out with Jesus and I'm perfectly content. 

A whole other winter world appears inside my home and, finally, I've learned to enjoy it. Well, till at least around the first week of March, anyway. heh.  シ


****

There comes a greater enjoyment of winter once we stop fighting it, accept it instead, and sail in its quiet flow.


*****