Okay, before anyone gets too crazy, I do love winter. I've always loved winter. The very idea of winter is soul-soothing and peaceful and downy-flake goodness wrapped into one fresh-from-the-oven buttered biscuit nestled next to chicken and gravy.
That's what I love about winter! And by late February, I'll be whining because I'll be jonesing for spring, for sunlight, for longer days and shorter nights, for "sweater weather" and a chance to kick the boots and mittens to the curb for a few months.
But right now?
I love winter.
The garage is getting cleaned out (don't ask, let me just remind you the big storage shed turned into a big CHICKEN COOP and now houses 38 laying hens. Therefore everything in the shed was deemed homeless for the summer.
The reindeer are being brought out of hiding in the shed and they're going to have their place of honor with Santa in the side yard that housed pumpkins until three days ago. "To everything there is a season..."
Yes, the reindeer and Santa get their very own shed. Why, you ask?
Because Great Grandma Blodgett and Great-Uncle Chuck hand-crafted Santa's team, the sleigh and Santa, thereby garnering them "special Reindeer and friends" treatment!
My mother's helper Christina is coming over for a few hours every weekend to help me clean/dust/organize because we can't do it effectively when all the cute kidlings are here. Have I mentioned that I love Christina????
Hardest working kid I know.
Things get stowed away for winter. Tucked aside. Everything looks neater and cleaner over the winter, very Currier and Ives! (Have you ever noticed how their farmyard pics cover lots of old, rusting implements with a layer of fresh, clean snow to make the effect more homey and evocative? Wave your hand if you understand the truth behind that!!!!) The scarecrows on the front porch are going back into the closet, the cornstalks are being recycled into the farm and the straw bales re-stacked to use for egg bedding for the hens.
Pots of soup replace grilled burgers.
Bowls of steamed veggies help me to lose the Abbott's ice cream middle I've gained!!! Oops!
December calendar is filling with time off, time with family, time with friends, but mostly, time with God, to remember the reason we celebrate a season and not just a day.
"Oh come let us adore him..."
A child, born to the poor. Of the poor. And for the poor.
I love winter. I love the light of Christmas and Thanksgiving and New Year's shining through the darkness of long December nights.
I love the prep of getting things done ahead of time so I can relax and bake cookies and make messes and read stories.
And then I have three beautiful, peaceful months of extra writing time... Peaceful snow-filled nights or windswept days, candles, woodstove fires.
I love winter.
Me too. I'm breaking out the flannel!
ReplyDeleteI love flannel!!!! Buffalo plaid, Scottish plaid, Catholic school girl plaid! I love flannel the most!
DeleteHow did you throw this out on the spur of the moment? You are amazing!
ReplyDeleteHere I was, patting myself on the back for being so together, getting in writing time with two small people with fevers and vomiting. I actually had the thought, "After six kids, nothing much can slow me down. I've got this."
APPARENTLY NOT.
Thank you for filling in with such a lovely post, Ruthy. If we had an actual café, this would be me not showing up for work, but Ruthy opening the doors, whipping out a few cakes and pies, and making sure the café was open for business!
*slinks away*
My darling, beautiful and wonderful friend, this is because I'm the mother of six, too, and I honestly love seeing how well you handle all you do! The minute I saw that you weren't turning on the kitchen lights, I knew something was up.... because that's what happens in a big family!
DeleteI remember reading the books "Karen" and "With Love from Karen" when I was young. Her mother Marie Killilea wrote the books about her beautiful daughter with cerebral palsy. I can still recite passages of those books after decades, that's how real that family became for me... and I see you and me like present day Marie Killileas, going through whatever God and life hand us, squaring our shoulders, dusting our hands together and saying "well, then..."
No slinking allowed in the cafe, ever and darling, I expect you could use a mug of sweet, caramel coffee or a cup of tea and some pecan pie squares.... Grab a seat. I'll join you!
Awww. *tears* This is me skidding in the door and finding the place all lit up and ready to do... And getting a nice cup of coffee and a slice of pie instead of a pink slip.
DeleteI've never heard of those books. I've got to find them.
Everyone is sleeping quietly right now. I think I've got another 45 minutes before the next round of ick. I'm praying this is a 24 hour thing and stops with the smalls.
Oh, Virginia! I'm here holding you up in prayer! The icks are the worst kind of parenting love. You need to pop in the cafe whenever you get a break today.
DeleteBoth of you are awesome. Having just nursed one sick child and having been thoroughly distracted from my writing, I can only imagine what multiples of that must be like. Kudos to both of you!
DeleteThanks, all! Another child is down. Two others still down and it's over 24 hours. I hate that by the time we think to be careful, we probably are already infected. :(
DeleteI have the books winging their way to you from Amazon. This is an instance where I love Amazon to death! You should have them by the end of the week and someday pass them on to another young mother. I was so inspired by Marie Killilea's courage and conviction and faith. Wonderful stuff!
DeleteRuthy, our souls twine together in so many places, and winter is definitely one of them.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes, and my hand is waving in the air. I LOVE it that you get winter :)
We're buttoning down for our first cold blast. It's supposed to start Sunday night, so we have a beautiful sunny weekend to prepare. We had an early, early first snow in September (a record breaker), but since then we've had an unusually warm and sunny autumn. But that's all going to change :)
You know, though, now that I think about it, I have boys at home. They can stack the woodpile and batten down the hatches. On a beautiful day like today, the Hills are calling....
Amen to that! I love giving Seth and Jon work so I can do other things and I remember long ago reading an article that talked about quality time not necessarily being all about fun... Disney World and board games, etc. but that families working together builds the fabric of a nation. I loved that article, probably because it erased layers of guilt... and of course I showed it to all my children, LOL!
DeleteRuthy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely tribute to winter. I do enjoy at least 1 or 2 snows each year. Looks like I'm in luck, the predictions have VA. at 12-16 inches. My husband has our woodstove going even now (it's 39 degrees) and you could cook and egg on that stove in the den. I have to go to the other end of the house to beathe sometimes, lol. Your soup picture has me in the mood to make soup and snuggling in a chair with a good book. Alas, I like you, am still cleaning out the garage, the shed, putting away lawn furniture and putting the yard to bed. Maybe later this afternoon after my grandaughters birthday party, I hope.
Virginia, praying for you and your little people, I've been there too many times to count and I sympathize. Praying the blessing of the Lord over your household and healing to each one.
Thank you, Tracey! Your prayers are so appreciated.
DeleteI hated seeing my kids sick. A mother feels that background of helplessness even in the fury of busy-ness. And then I was always glad when we came back on the healthy side again! Yay!
DeleteVirginia, I hope your little ones are soon on the mend. Bless Ruthy for her generous heart and beautiful words. Ruthy, this piece reminded me of Marjorie Holmes' many wonderful pastorale columns.
ReplyDeleteYes, winter's comin' and I'm gonna be ready for it... eventually. We usually get our first cold spell in late November, but until then I'm still scrambling to winterize the garden. Some years we don't get much snow... just a lot of rain... but your post still makes me yearn for cosy winter evenings in front of the fire, and pots of steaming soup. Hubby made a beef stew yesterday, and I swear it was the best I've ever tasted... he says he added some V-8 juice and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
We don't start putting out Christmas decorations until Advent begins, altho' we make our fruitcakes on November 11th, and I dig out the Christmas CDs for the occasion. I do love my Christmas music!!
Thank you, Carol. I wish I had a picture of my face as carried the dirty pajamas to the laundry room and realized.... it was 5AM on a Saturday and the café was unattended.
DeleteAnd now I want stew. It's hotly debated in this house. Hubby doesn't like carrots. I don't like stew without them. So, usually we don't have stew. :)
Laughing at the carrot issue! Oh my stars, I hear you! Stews and chowders are a fave here, but Mandy doesn't like cooked carrots so she picks them out of my soups and stews... it's so funny to watch my grown girl sorting through her food! She does love my glazed carrots, though, so if I give her enough sugar, she's fine!
DeleteOh -- Ruthy -- you are the only other person in the whole wide world I know that read Karen and With Love From Karen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how many times I read them in my teens when I discovered the biography section.
ReplyDeleteLove your ode to winter. Love your exuberance too. I've been known to get a wee bit cranky these days when people mention snow. I used to love it but now it's a huge hurdle so I need to readjust my thinking. I'm off work until the New Year so I am being a wee bit more gracious about the white stuff since I'm pretty much homebound. We're supposed to get our first flurries this weekend.
Virginia -- praying for you and your sick babies. May they not spread the germs to the rest of the family!!!!!
Thank you, Kav! Everyone likes to be near the action so they're all camped out in the living room. I guess it keeps me from running room to room...
DeleteOh -- and forgot to mention that I got my Harlequin order yesterday....Her Holiday Family is sitting on the bed right beside me. Can't wait for some of your Christmas magic!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that story so much!!! And if tough little Tina Martinelli, stubborn and hard-working and forging her own paths ALL THE TIME reminds you of anyone else named TINA, it's a COINCIDENCE. I swear!!!! :)
DeleteAs beautiful as your post was, let me just say I love SUMMER! And spring. And fall. But not winter. LOL I'm a wimp with thin blood. I've been chilled to the bone already, and the low so far has probably been 40. :)
ReplyDeleteBut I admire you and your hardiness! You need to hold a winter boot camp and make me attend. hahaha
We've got really bad weather coming this week. It said 35F during the day and near zero at night. NOT looking forward to that!
DeleteYou know, we get some of our bitterest nights in December. It's as if that jet stream dives for us and laughs!!!! But that wood pile and a few new, tight doors... oh what a difference a snug door makes! :)
DeleteVirginia, I'm so sorry about your sick little ones!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Missy. I hate to see them sick. It's not just the mess, honestly. It's so sad to see them hurting. I think of all those moms that walk this road for months and months.
DeleteAmen. That was always my feeling, too. But at least illness I could help comfort... and then came growing up and pains I could do nothing about. And that broke my heart into little pieces. Somethings they've gone through.... even though I know it's part of life... put me on my knees and occasional fist-shaking was part of the prayer. I'm so stinkin' human.
DeleteVirginia, how is everyone doing today (Sunday)??
ReplyDelete