This winter has been one of the coldest that I can remember. Here in the great Northeast we're used to the cold and snow, we expect it, but this year it has been intense. We have had had many days of sub zero temperatures with the wind chill bringing it down to anywhere between -10 and -25...that's a bit nippy! We heat with wood and many nights I stayed up so I could keep the fire going, sometimes having to reload it every hour. Yet, even with all of our efforts, we still had pipes freeze (and sometimes break) as the heat did not reach certain areas of the house...and this was in addition to putting an electric heater under the sink. Ah, good times! But, there is also a great amount of joy and beauty to be found in the winter.
The view from my house can't be beat! Watching the birds enjoy the treats that my grandson places out in his bird feeder for his feathered friends is heart-warming too!
It doesn't take long to get frost-bite in this weather, and since I have already had it once, I take extra precautions to guard against getting it again. When my left foot starts hurting, I know it's time to go back inside and warm up.
This slate hangs in my kitchen and will remain there all year. Two years in a row it was missing (simply miss-placed) and my family took great joy in telling me that I ruined Christmas because the sign wasn't there. Thankfully I found it and have been absolved of all guilt. I'm afraid to pack it away with the seasonal items, lest I lose it again. Therefore, it will hang there year round. LOL!! It does make you feel rather warm and comforted just looking at it. My miniature wood stoves don't give off any physical heat, but they warm me just the same.
...And when I get snowed in, I can amuse myself by rearranging the cupboard...and more stoves!
I grew up in a small fishing village on the east end of Long Island in a house that was built before the Civil War. Obviously, in a house that old nothing is plumb and drafts abound! In the winter I remember my mother taking empty bread bags (my mother was into recycling and repurposing before it became 'fashionable') and stuffing them around the door with a bread knife to keep the draft out. It worked great until somebody came in or out and then you had to stuff them all back in again! This is where "pool noodles" come in handy in the winter. Just cut it to the width of the bottom of your door and using an exacto knife, make one cut the length of the noodle on one side only. Since there is a hole in the middle you can easily slide it over the bottom of your door. If it's too thick, you can shave some of it off n the bottom where it meets the floor. It will conform to the shape of the door and prevent the cold from coming in.
It's winter, it's cold, and it's beautiful so let's enjoy it! As Dean Martin sang "Let it Snow, let snow, let it snow"
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