I can’t deny it any longer. The cold weather is arriving. It did not even check with me to see if I was ready. I am not. At least mentally. However, we are prepared otherwise. The boat and camper are winterized and tucked into the shop. The firewood has been split and stacked. The sprinkler system has been blown out. The pizza oven is covered, and the outdoor chairs have been placed under shelter. Lastly, the tractor has the blade on it to plow our long, rather steep, driveway. Now we wait for the temperatures to drop and the snow to fly. It is time to cozy up.

Around this time every year I have to make an attitude adjustment. I mourn the sunshine and warmth. I miss having morning coffee outside listening to the bird’s cantata. I miss the sun casting a blanket of warmth on my shoulders. And I miss the ease of just throwing on shorts and a pair of flip flops, instead of having to bundle up with layers of cloths. But we live in the PNW and that means the days get shorter and the temperatures get colder. And colder. And colder. So, instead of fighting it, I am trying to embrace it. Because nothing is quite as beautiful as frost on the trees and a spanking new layer of snow on the ground. Attitude is everything.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we get four very distinct change of seasons. I absolutely love that. The outdoors becomes this evolving canvas that you never get tired of observing. Years ago, we lived in Portland, Oregon (back when Portland was cool). It was the first time I had lived in a big city, and I was thrilled to experience something new and different. I especially loved the lush greenery that surrounded every nook and cranny of earth. But, as we soon learned, there is a price you pay for all of that vegetation… rain. Four seasons of rain: heavy rain, moderate rain, light rain and the “I am sick of rain” rain. After four years we were ready to move back closer to family and living with four distinct seasons again. Even if it meant that one of those seasons could be bitter cold and gray.

As with most things in life, it is the diversity that gives our lives texture and interest. So, in an effort to savor the art of living seasonally, I came up with a list of ten things I love about winter:

1. Settling into a good book on a snowy day. Spending hours reading is an indulgence that only a day snowed in at home can give me the permission to do.
2. Evenings by the fire listening to it crackle and pop, while I sip a glass of hot spiced wine.
3. The very first snow fall. Best if I am tucked away at home watching it float down and silence the earth.
4. Playing some Frank Sinatra music and lighting scented soy candles to create a peaceful mood.
5. Taking a walk in the crisp air with the sun bouncing off of the snow. The feel of the cold air on your face is invigorating and makes you feel alive.
6. Coming home to make a hot cup of tea in a favorite mug that my mom gave me several years ago.
7. Loosing track of time as I settle into my office/craft room to let my creative juices flow.
8. Pulling on a comfy pair of hand knit socks first thing on a chilly morning. Bonus that my friend made them for me.
9. Making a big pot of soup and leaving it to simmer on the stove all day. Even better if I took the time to make homemade bread or rolls to go with it. Winter is no time to be counting carbs.
10. One of the best gifts of winter is the holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas are full of precious time with family, delicious food and grateful hearts. What more could we want? Well, maybe a little sunshine to go with it.

So, as the temperatures slowly drop below freezing, I am making an effort to settle into the winter months ahead. I am reminding myself of all the lovely things I enjoy about this time of year. This is the season of hygge, and I am going to melt into it. Because, as much as I complain discuss the colder weather, I honestly enjoy the unique beauty and coziness that this time of year brings with it. (At least at the beginning of the season… I will have a tough time coming up with reasons I love winter once February rolls around.) So, make a cup of hot tea or warm spiced wine, grab a good book, put your feet up by the fire and cozy up for the months ahead.