DEBORAH CROMBIE: We are inching towards March, but the days are still short, it’s still cold (although Rhys and Jenn are enjoying gorgeous Arizona February, I’m sure) and most of us are suffering from the mid-winter blahs. Here are a few things, however, that help me through the last doldrums of February.
A wood burning fire! I’ve spent the last two weeks camped out on the living room sofa, convalescing from meniscus repair surgery on my knee, and in that two weeks we went through at least half of our winter’s supply of firewood. But it was so comforting! Having that cheery fire in the hearth made the time feel more like a treat than a pain.
In lieu of a wood burning or gas fire, I light candles. I think our need for a bright flame in the cold must go back to our primal ancestors…
I drink loads of hot tea! Not that I don’t love tea any time, but it really perks me up on a cold, gray afternoon.
Comfy quilts and good books--although these two pretty much go without saying for this bunch.
Fresh flowers, the brighter the better. I tend towards white blooms through December and January, but come February, bring on the hot pink tulips and orange roses. Sunshine in a vase!
I have a jigsaw puzzle on the dining room table, carefully covered to protect it from the cats. Not that I’ve made much progress on it, but it’s a fun little break to look forward to.
And as contradictory as it may seem, it helps to get outside for at least a few minutes a day even when it’s gray and cold. It reminds our bodies that no, we are actually not hibernating.
What about your, dear REDS? Any special tips for beating the last of the winter blues?
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Blankets. I am so big on blankets! I have a wonderful chocolate brown and cream herringbone one that I wear around myself, wrapped like a towel. VERY attractive, I can tell you.
And I so agree--going outside is great. All Ugged and mufflered and mittened. We only have one car, which Jonathan takes on the days I work at home, and I try to still do my walks to the town center to the drug store and post office and bank. And the manicure place, nothing like bright red (or my new love, blue) fingernails! It’s beautiful outside, the sky here can be an amazing blue. And I always have flowers--right now, yellow tulips. I forgot to get paperwhites this year-is there still time? And oh, our little white snowdrops are blooming out in the garden--so nice to see!
And I am SO happy the days are getting longer. You can really tell, right? But I don’t like to wish the time away.
DEBS: Paperwhites! Hank, I saw them at Trader Joe's on Sunday. What a great idea. But I know what you mean about not wanting to wish the time away. And for us, spring is a harbinger of summer and HEAT, so I am trying to savor the cold and dark.
READERS, tell us your tips for coping!
One of my winter treats to myself is watching the figure skating competitions . . . I’m in complete agreement with the fire in the fireplace, a cozy blanket, a good book . . . and I'd add quiet music playing, coffee in my mug.
ReplyDeleteGetting outside for a moment is good, and hasn’t been too difficult this winter season since the weather has been quite unseasonable but if it’s a dull, dark day, I make sure to turn on the lights in the living room because light is cheery, even if it isn’t the sun . . . .
Oh, skating, Joan! I love the skating but as we are all streaming these days, I'm not sure where I can watch it.
DeleteI don't have any idea about where [or if you can] watch on the streaming services . . . we watch on NBC.
DeletePerhaps you can watch skating on www.olympicchannel.com [an Internet television service from the Olympic Committee] . . . .
Of course, I love reading good books and having a little blanket nearby. I also have little heater by my reading and TV watching chair that I am dependent on. Coffee is a must, with maybe a cookie or two at some point. I do love candles, too, but I don't light them nearly as often as I mean to--something to remember tomorrow. I open up the shades in the living room and the kitchen when I get up, so that the house is brighter, if not warmer. We haven't had a fire in the fireplace this year. The reason we haven't had a fire is because we have our television sitting in front of the fireplace, trying to decide how we better want to arrange the room to accommodate it. We used to have a TV in the family room and one in the bedroom, but when Philip was away so much, I started liking to be in the living room more. Eventually we put a TV in here. Oh, and it is good to step outside, even if it's to walk to the mailbox.
ReplyDeleteAnd, one more thing that my husband and I are doing this winter and enjoying it so much is feeding the birds, so that we have a lovely assortment to watch out our kitchen windows. I especially love the cardinals. The squirrels come to visit, too, and when it's warmer, we'll have the rabbits. I did mention another critter on FB earlier today. Last night when I pulled in the driveway, which curves around to the back yard, a possum was caught in my bright car lights, and it scampered (yes, scampered) up a little tree. It was a rather large possum, and I'd never seen one climb a tree before, and it was a fast climb. Now, if I could only move somewhere with more wildlife and more land (we only have 3/4 acre), I would find viewing deer a great coping activity, too.
You would adore the deer until they began to eat all your landscaping--even the roses.
DeleteOh yes, deer are beautiful, but they will really ravage your garden!
DeleteDeer? I’ll give you mine. They actually live in my garden and eat everything including stripping the citrus trees to the height they can reach!
DeleteRhys, I wonder if there is a sanactary (sp?) where the deers could go to?
DeleteDiana
Kathy, you can have my squirrels!!! They are the plague of my garden. They dig up everything, all the pots on my deck, AND eat the plants! And we can only put safflower seed in our feeder (squirrels won't eat safflower but songbirds do) otherwise they will decimate the feeder in a hour. Grrr.
DeleteMuch to the chagrin of the deer population around her, we've fenced in the vegetable garden and planted deer-resistant plants in the flower gardens. So far, the fence has stymied them and they leave the gardens alone. But, in the summer, they love to come and drink water out of the grand-baby's little swimming pool. [The squirrels aren't a problem, either, although we occasionally have a stray rabbit or two trying to dig up the vegetables.]
DeleteBut I wouldn't miss the wild turkeys if they were to go somewhere far, far away . . . .
So, it sounds like I'm better off without the wandering deer in my yard. And, Debs, while I like the squirrels, I'm not crazy about them in large numbers, as they can be quite the destructive little critters.
DeleteBooks.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's hard to complain too much about our So Cal winters. Not that I still won't complain when it gets "cold."
I love winter in Maine and curling up in front of the wood stove with a cup of tea. Now that we are in Florida I cherish the few days that are cold enough for a fire in the fireplace. Flowers are wonderful, but we are limited to those that won't injure my plant eating cats! My special time is in the morning on the days when it's not humid and I can sit on the porch and watch the sun come up while I drink coffee. Ah....
ReplyDeleteI've dropped by Deb's house for tea a couple of times during her recovery, and now I find myself looking forward to a nice, hot cuppa when I get home from work. I always select a beautiful mug. It's so relaxing after a 1.5 hour commute (which should take 35 minutes) past all the people who have driven into each other on rain-slick roads.
ReplyDeleteBut my best thing is to stretch out on the bed with a book or movie and a couple of dogs to cuddle. One of my dogs even likes to watch the movie with me. (She prefers action flicks, and things with border collies in them.) I got a kitten back in October. Now a shy adolescent, she has discovered she likes to cuddle, too, particularly if she can burrow under the covers where it's warm and so much safer than her native streets.
Gigi, I have a little gray cat who loves to burrow under the covers--I call her my mole.
DeleteI have never had a cat who liked that before, but Gift is a big fan.
DeleteI'm holed up working through my edits, so my body really does think it's hibernating. I came up for air yesterday to go for groceries and it was lovely to see the sunshine, something rare for notoriously gray southwestern Pennsylvania. (I have to crawl out of my cave on Saturday for my joint launch party with Liz Milliron too. YAY!) My final deadline on this book falls right at the start of spring, so I'm really looking forward to being able to get out into the garden and take some long walks. Until then, I'm coping by making plans for that garden as well as some home renovation projects.
ReplyDeleteYay! I wish we could all be there to celebrate with you all! And Whoo hoo, Annette will have a wonderful post here next week !
DeleteI have to crawl out of my cave to get ready for that launch party, too! Can't wait!
DeleteCongrats, Liz and Annette! I wish we could all be there to celebrate with you!
DeleteI opt for a splash of brandy in that tea at the end of the day, Debs! A daily walk outside as long as it isn't icy is critical for me. I love all the light returning to the sky! But it still seems very dark at night, and I turn on lights. We have efficient bulbs and solar panels and I don't feel a bit guilty about it.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have solar panels, Edith, but all our lights are energy saving LED, so I don't feel too quilty!
DeleteBooks, blankets, and hot beverages are my primary coping tools. We’re usually gray and cloudy here in a Michigan, but if the sun does make an appearance I like to sit in front of the window and feel the warmth through the glass. I usually walk to work, which I do enjoy. This week I’ve been driving since I have a cold and find I really miss the walk!
ReplyDeleteInching towards March is right, Deborah! We are still surrounded by snow here on the Canadian prairie and this morning's temperature is minus 20 Celsius, though we are zooming up to the single digits (still minus) over the next few days. Thanks goodness...
ReplyDeleteI love cut flowers in the house at this time of year -- bright tulips are a favourite. Wearing a new silk scarf under my down coat keeps me warm outside and feels very luxurious against the cold; I try to focus on that feeling rather than the cold against my face. And Kathy Reel, yes to feeding the birds! We have a couple of Pileated Woodpeckers who have been enjoying the suet hung in our front yard -- the majesty of those birds is a wonder, no matter how much snow or cold there is outside.
Hope all the Reds and readers with sore knees, colds, flu feel better soon! I am soaking up every minute of sunshine in these longer days,feeding the birds, opening curtains, and taking as many walks as I can squeeze in. Luckily, here on the south shore of Lake Erie we are much warmer than those Canadian prairies, Amanda!
ReplyDeleteFlora: Enjoy that southern warmth! We have to be content with bright sunshine and longer days at the moment, but even in that there is joy: The light itself takes on a different hue (is that the right word?) -- it's less sharp and brittle than the heart-of-the-winter light. And it definitely holds the promise of warmer temps down the line a ways...
DeleteI love that description of the light, Amanda, and I know exactly what you mean.
DeleteA second batch of paperwhites next to the kitchen sink, and the last bud on a very prolific amaryllis bulb. Trader Joe's sipping chocolate every afternoon. A fire in the evening. A stack of Hudson Bay blankets on the bed. Simple pleasures.
ReplyDeletePerfect! I will get paper whites this weekend!
DeleteAren't they rather smelly?
DeleteLibby, they are. You have to like the scent.
DeleteMargaret, I haven't tried Trader Joe's sipping chocolate. On my list now!
DeleteI'm right there with you on the wood-burning fire, Debs. It instantly transforms the room.
ReplyDeleteAs others have said, books. And tea, hot tea. And hot chocolate! I have a stash of flavored ones (no one else really likes them so they are mine, all mine).
I usually go for a walk with Koda in the afternoon, but the rain has foiled me a lot recently. I can stand the cold, but not the cold AND the rain. Blah.
While I do my share of snuggling under a blanket with hot tea and a good book, I try to resist the urge to hibernate and stay busy as much as I can. It's been a relatively mild winter, which has made it easier. My husband and I are still taking our 5 a.m. walks daily because it hasn't hit our cutoff point (temperature below 20 degrees or ice on the walkways) and I think that helps me a lot.
ReplyDeleteWe have a quick weekend trip to Nashville planned for the third weekend in March, and I live in fear that the long awaited snow will arrive exactly then. We're going to a family birthday party, so we didn't get to choose the date. Please send snow-free thoughts our way that weekend.
Stay safe, Susan! Nashville should be gorgeous the end of March!
DeleteIn my part of NY it is all snow and ice but inside I have my lemon and orange trees! Right now one lemon tree is covered with blossoms; the smell of spring for sure. The orange tree has many tiny oranges which are not really edible as far as I am concerned but they do look very cheery. I have deer around and they will be eating my hostas soon enough.
ReplyDeleteSounds like we are all working on self-care and hygge these days! They are buzzwords for a reason.
ReplyDeleteIn the new house we had a super-efficient woodburning, glassed=in fireplace put in the living room, with a big log storage area next to it. It took forever to get cold enough to have a fire, but now every cold day one of us builds one. A super-soft lap blanket was my most-appreciated Christmas gift, so most evenings find me curled up with a fire and that blanket and a book or a British detective tale on Acorn.
Naturally we feed birds, and have a big window overlooking the backyard where we watch them from the kitchen/family room. There were two pair of pileated woodpeckers over the summer, and all winter we've seen at least six flickers, which are fun to watch. A family of crows were raised in our woods, so we have had daily murders. Sometimes they are out back at the same time as the red-shouldered hawks that nest in the woods.
But the best sighting was one day in the fall, when two red foxes streaked across the backyard, one after the other. We have a herd of deer, too, and I fully expect them to challenge my ability to have a garden here, but it's fun to watch them, anyway.
Judy, wouldn't it be fun to have an orangerie? Those Victorians knew what they were doing.
I do have a sun porch, so sort of the American equivalent. Maybe next year I'll try to find room to overwinter a lemon tree. I love the smell of lemon blossoms.
DeleteKaren, a couple of weeks ago I glanced out the porch window and there was a red-tailed hawk on our porch rail! That was a treat!
So close! The ones in our yard are usually way back in the trees at the edge of the yard, about 200 feet away.
DeleteI am envious of your Pileated woodpeckers. They are glorious birds.
DeleteAren't they? We just saw one this afternoon!
DeleteOne word: SOUP! This week our paper ran a recipe for sweet and sour cabbage soup with tomatoes and dill. I'll be making a vat of it.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Hallie. Big soup fan here! Curried parsnip, carrot and ginger, butternut squash..... yum
DeleteI love every kinds of soups especially vegetables soups
DeleteRhys, your soup sounds yummy! I love butternut squash soup.
DeleteDiana
Hallie, let us know how you like the sweet and sour cabbage soup.
DeleteDiana
Oh yum, Hallie. I want that recipe!
DeleteWe just finished a big pot of chili. Time for the next soup this weekend!
DeleteObviously, I haven't been doing much cooking, but I think by next week I will be up to soups, which are my absolutely favorite things. I'll see if I can share a soup recipe on Sunday.
DeleteHallie, I used to make a cabbage soup with tomatoes and dill and beef that was fabulous. We're not eating much meat these days, so I'd love a veggie version.
DeleteHere, in Quebec this morning at -20*C, I'm happy to read this blog near my fireplace's heat and with my little blanket.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting a little later to go walking because it is essential to me. I'm enjoying the white snow sceneries around me.
I don't seem to suffer from mid-winter blahs since I retired mostly because I don't have to take the road when the weather is bad.
That makes a huge difference! You can stay in your nice warm bed instead of making that white-knuckled drive to work.
DeleteDeborah, this sounds lovely. Several years ago, I read about a Danish tradition called "hygge", which is all about being cosy. This includes candles, fireplaces, blankets, good books, among many things.
ReplyDeleteHow do we cope with the doldrums of the winter? Read and read! Go to bed early when it gets dark to save on energy (turn off all the lights). Lots of delicious soups! Self-Care! Drink lots of water. Drink lots of green tea and herbal tea. And go outside even if it is for a few minutes when it is rainy (we finally got rain in CA for a little while). Cosy blankets. Comfy and warm clothes. When it is really cold like ski weather, I wear layers and layers! Big Socks for the house.
Sadly, we cannot use the fireplace because of climate change and Spare the Air Days.
Just finished reading a wonderful novel, THE SCENTKEEPER, by Erica Bauermeister.
Diana
Diana, thanks for the book recommendation! I've seen that and wondered if it was good. And I need some Big Socks. Any recommendations?
DeleteI found them through Instagram. They are more like socks / slippers? I can forward to you via Direct Messaging on IG?
DeleteDeborah, I just sent you a photo of the socks with a link to their website. If the link is too tiny (you can expand the photo with your fingers on the iPhone), please send me a DM.
DeleteDiana
Chiming in here from Toronto, where the weather has been hovering below and above freezing for weeks.
ReplyDeletePretty much everything everyone has said. I feel cosy just reading them all. And I'll add my bit: flannellette sheets. TARTAN flannellette sheets. Makes it extra nice to curl up in bed each night.
Sorry to hear about the knee surgery, Debs. I suppose the up side is it doesn't stop you from curling up with a good book and quilts and drink of choice as, say, a bout of flu might.
Susan, I'd rather have the sore knee than the flu any day!!!
DeleteI usually have candles to light during rainy days but it has been a dry February in Santa Rosa. Lights on are a must because my apartment faces north and there very large redwood trees on the property. Books, tea, coffee in the morning, that's work too but one of the thing I do for me is to get a facial. I have dry skin all year but add in cold winter weather and this year's is dry and cold - well the itching is not fun. The facial it makes my skin feel good. It's my treat for me.
ReplyDeleteJulia, hope that flu is subsiding. Deb, don't skip on your out patient therapy.
Deanna, the facial is a great idea. Add lots and lots of hydration. We all get so dry in cold weather.
DeleteAnd, yes, I'm doing my PT. Three times a week, which tends to eat up the days, but it's a must.
I missed this last night - I taught my Wednesday evening class for the first time this month (I've been too stricken with the flu to conduct it the past two sessions.) It pooped me out completely, and I retired to my kitchen, where I 1) drank hot honey-lemon herbal tea while 2) wrapped in a blanket - I wear mine like a sarong - 3) resting in front of a blazing fire in my kitchen wood stove.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had fresh flowers in the house since Christmas, and you've all inspired me - I'm stopping at the store on the way home and picking up something cheap and cheerful!
Julia, I'm glad you managed your class but hope you can take it easy for a few more days!
DeleteOn the flowers, until we got Trader Joe's, flowers were a rare luxury. Now I usually pick up something every week. And orchids! You can see from my fireplace photo that I still have winter white orchids on my coffee table. I love them.
ReplyDeleteRhys and I are too busy floating around in our swimming pools to have the winter blues - sorry, not sorry! Check back in summer - I'll have heat coping methods aplenty! LOL.
ReplyDeleteOur weather is all over the place. At the moment it is gray, windy, damp, and in the 40s. That damp goes right to your bones. I have our gas log fireplace on to knock the chill off and have an ancient fleece vest on over a thermal knit shirt. We’ll be back to the 60s and 70s by the weekend.
ReplyDeleteI love winter and cold. That said, I live in North Carolina. Maybe I would change my tune up in Vermont? I go for a long dog walk every day. A Bitter Feast, which Deborah - you signed for me at Bouchercon- was perfect to read by the (gas) fire. (I do miss a wood burning fire- nothing like the smell and snap.)Your writing is so deft and engaging. Now I am on to Invisible City- a debut by Julia Dalh, and very good. Stay warm- Jungle Reds. (Reading Jungle Reds is another winter survival tip.)
ReplyDeleteIn the pool for aqua, we pretend to be somewhere tropical, and in books one can be anywhere, any season. The bay windows let me watch trees, pond, wildlife, all while warm and cozy inside, bundled in layers because I try to keep the heat below 75. I'll agree with Edith's brandy suggestion, especially near bedtime, though right now I have spiced rum . . . a Costco buy, so it may take all winter and part of summer to finish it. When inclined to whine, I remember the folktale of the Twelve Month Brothers and appreciate each in turn. <3
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteDeborah, my sister made me a facial scrub of sugar and coconut oil. It's wonderful. She added some food coloring, so the jar looks like a sand painting.