How I Survive Winter

My feelings about winter go up and down with the temperature.

I still get excited every time it snows. I love sitting at my kitchen table, watching those puffy flakes float lazily to the ground. No matter how many times I see it snow it still seems like a novelty, and I revel in those moments.


I don't always love the outcome of a snow fall - ice, ice, and more ice. Ever since I fell with Big J, I have been extra cautious when walking outside. Probably not a bad thing, but makes for slow going every time I step out the door.


The cold? The cold isn't too bad. I have to admit that far too often I do find myself succumbing to the desire to hibernate. I like our tiny little apartment, and have no problem making a cup of hot chocolate, popping in a movie for the kids, and snuggling up on the couch while buried under a fuzzy blanket. Makes you want to hibernate, too, doesn't it?


Despite all the positive talk above the weather does get to me sometimes. It's about this time of year I begin to yearn for warm breezes, wondering when it will warm up to 52 so I can throw open all the windows. Yesterday was a treat - it was almost 50! We all got outside for a while, cleaning out the garage, breaking up some of the ice in the parking lot, and just enjoying the warm(er) day.


I know yesterday's weather was a fluke, and we will quickly return to sub-freezing temperatures.


Sigh.

In general, what gets me through winter are two things:

1. Exercise. I know, it's a bit of a cliche, but I feel tremendously better when I work out - particularly if I can knock it out in the morning. I don't know if it's just that I worked up a sweat and did a little something good for myself.... or that I got out of the house & had 45 minutes just for me, but the impact on my mood can be powerful. I have a friend who swears that regular exercise has saved her thousands of dollars in psychiatry bills. I believe it, friends.


2. Having something to look forward to. Whether it's a new movie coming out, a lunch date with a friend, a birthday, a holiday, or just the end of the week, having an event to look ahead to makes a huge difference in my life. This week I had a lunch date with a friend, and I looked forward to that for 2 weeks. On the days when time seemed to slow to a crawl, all I had to do was think about that day and not only did I get excited, but it seemed to give time a kick in the rear & speed up just a bit. Perhaps I am more goal-oriented (or just outcome oriented) than I thought, but having even the smallest event to look forward to helps me tremendously.

That's all for today. Carry on with your Sunday, and enjoy the game tonight. While I'm not really interested in the game itself, I've been looking forward to making steak quesadillas. Yum!