The sun came out yesterday morning and hit the snowy fog-filled valley with blinding brilliance. I had to squint.
I feel like I am evolving...becoming me. I have decided that I love snow. Lots and lots of it. I love the cozy feeling it gives me and the contrast between cold and hot, outside and in, the walk from car to gym and laying in the steam room inside the gym. I love watching snow fall like confetti on New Year's Eve in Times Square. I love the leaves falling in autumn for that reason too, but there is something extra special about the white blanketing effect snow has on the landscape. I love the lazy way huge clumps of snowflakes take their time falling to the ground.
But I couldn't do winter without
hot cups of tea,
microwavable warmie packs,
my electric blanket,
my down sleeping-bag-of-a-coat,
fuzzy throw blankets,
the wood stove,
and thick wool socks.
I definitely do not like winters without snow. I've started contemplating moving to Northern Vermont just so winters are always white all winter long. That sounds splendid to me. I just wish they had a longer growing season. My ideal place would have feet and feet of snow for 3 months, then a full and vibrant spring. That just doesn't seem to be how it works. I do miss green.
Today I finally took down the Christmas tree and all the decorations. I packed them up for the next 10 months until I get excited about taking them out all over again. One reason I kept them up for so long is that I just love their brightness. I love the light and sparkle that they bring into the house. They make everyday seem like a celebration, like there is something to celebrate. Same with Christmas music, although I was forced to turn that off a while ago. It is cheery, bright, magical and hopeful. It feels good to believe in something and be reminded of it constantly by music, food, and decorations. At least that's part of what Christmas means to me.
So today I decided to keep right on going. I cleared the house of all Christmas decorations and brought out the spring decorations that I hadn't gotten out the last couple years. I just felt like the house needed something to celebrate. I needed something to remind me to be hopeful. So out came spring! Birds, nests, and flowers. I had so much fun putting it all together, especially when the sun came out and streamed through the windows.
So I hold onto the hope that the sun is coming back and green will push through the snow, as much as I love it. The days are as long now as they were at Thanksgiving. By the time I get back from Ecuador (which is where we are going for our service project at the end of February) the days will be as long as they were at Halloween. And then daylight savings will start again and I will no longer feel like my day is ending in the afternoon. There will be lingering evenings again.
P.S. I am working on a very exciting new project. I will announce more soon, but you can follow the twitter feed to be in the know.