I am NOT a winter person. I am one of those people who are perpetually cold throughout the winter months. I live in turtlenecks and sweaters. My lined boots become glued to my feet. The fleece sheets go on to the bed. (Fleece is MUCH better than flannel. Flannel may be a little bit warmer, but fleece is much cozier. You’ll never want to leave your bed!) When I can, I trade my warm shower for a hot bath. (But you need to have the time to relax and enjoy it. For me that means the weekends: During the cold months a late afternoon soak with a bath salts, a good book, and maybe even a glass of wine is the highlight of my week.) Cans of soup become my go-to for dinner. (Unless my husband and son demand the chicken soup from Frank Anthony’s, which is a MUST whenever either one of them get sick.) When I am getting dressed in the morning, I put my clothes on the radiator for a few minutes beforehand, so that I can climb into warmth.
But winter is here and as much as I don’t like the cold weather, there is not much I can do about it. Or can I?
Today is the first day of winter. I can rejoice that today will be the “shortest” day of the year (or at least the day with the least light) and that, from tomorrow on, the days will get longer. Early morning walks are only three months away and if the temperatures stay above freezing, I can enjoy later morning walks on the weekend. (Remember last winter?) Or if it’s cold, I can take my family out in the car and we can enjoy all the lights and decorations throughout our town. (Verona, you get bonus points for all the wonderful decorations! My family has gone out three times already this season and enjoyed the displays. Thank you!)
I can relish the time that I have to relax in a hot bath. (With or without the glass of wine.) I can gleefully put on warm PJs, jump into my fleece-sheeted bed and hunker down and watch holiday fare on the Hallmark channel. (With or without a glass of wine.)
I can learn to make soup from scratch. (I know there will be a big ham bone left after Christmas. Maybe I could take a few pointers from MyVeronaNJ food writer Tracy Bermeo?) Or I could try to roast new things in my oven (which will also make my kitchen warm and toasty as well). There’s a New Year’s resolution in there somewhere!
I don’t have to like the winter, but I can make the best of it. Think of all the calories I’ll burn when shoveling snow! (You know we’re going to see more of it before spring…we always do!)
I can take this season, that often turns me into a grumpy, old woman (something I DON”T want to be) and make it a more positive experience. And by doing so, not only will the winter not seem so bad, but I’m betting the spring (and warmer weather) will appear before I know it.
Happy Winter Verona! No matter what it brings, let’s make the best of it!
Photo copyright Fred Goode. Used by permission.
