The Bleak Midwinter

The pace of our winter lives have been slowed a bit this week by a cold I somehow caught last weekend.  I've been tired and a little puny, but it's not that bad, and--more than anything else--I am just so grateful it's not the flu!  Around here, entire schools have been shut down for days with the flu.  So far no one else in my family is sick, and because Finn has a leading role in a local community theatrical production right now, I am praying he stays well!

The pace of our winter lives has also precluded me from doing much blog posting, although I am writing a fair amount away from the blog.  I'm developing a weekly habit of escaping to the local coffee shop, ordering my skim milk latte, plugging in my earbuds (and listening to the Little Women soundtrack--the Thomas Newman version!), and writing for a few hours.  I am working on a story....a story that is falling into chapters, so I think it is a book. 

Our children are in an interesting stage of life--a stage I never actually thought we'd encounter. I figured we'd be immune to the "living out of the car" scenario so many people seem to encounter as their children age.  When my children were little, we had such long, lazy days at home, and I couldn't imagine having a life that involved leaving the house nearly every day.  

Well: here we are. 

I stack and schedule activities so that we don't leave the house more than once a day (ideally; rehearsals have thrown a wrench into that, but since the theatre is 5 minutes from our house, it's not that bad!), and I schedule everything except our co-op for after lunch.  This helps, but the truth is, I still drive a lot!  My children have things that engage them, activities that capture their attention, and so I'm in a phase of life where I'm supporting those interesting experiences, while also keeping things running at home.  And I am the consummate homebody: I am so good at staying home, and I love staying home.  So supporting my children in this way is also stretching me a little bit. But I'm grateful for the opportunities that they have, and the learning experiences.  And I'm also grateful that the routine breaks during the summer!

Although it's not the bleakest of midwinters, we are very definitely in MID-winter right now: loads of gray skies, rain, chilly weather, and wind.  (Would it just please snow already?!)  Fortunately we are halfway through winter and spring is on her way: less than 6 weeks to go!

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I'm sitting here this morning with my second cup of coffee (this one is decaf), thinking of all the things I want to do once I feel better.  Ironically, I finally purchased a Fitbit fitness tracker on Monday (great sale!) after years of using an Omron pedometer strapped to my waistband.  It's a little ironic because after I bought it I immediately came down with a cold which has precluded any real exercise!  My goal this week is to get 7,000 steps a day, and since I'm not well enough to walk in the cold damp outside, I just do my chores (I can get a fair amount of steps working around the house) and walk laps in the warm, cozy basement. It will be so nice to feel better so I can go for real walks again, go for a run, use the elliptical trainer, etc!

But here are some things that we've been enjoying this winter:

*Tumtum and Nutmeg: such charming stories! Annie and I are giggling our way through them.

*Our goose down duvet.  I bought it for Christmas 2018 for my husband, who was incredibly cold after chemotherapy.  We both agree that it's one of the best purchases ever: it's like sleeping under a cloud.  I have a flannel cover for it for winter, and it keeps me so cozy.  (I also sleep in a thrifted cashmere sweater--I like to be *hot* at night--but my husband sleeps in a tee shirt and shorts, and he's plenty toasty with just the duvet.)

*Banana bread. I have the best banana bread recipe in the world!  I toast it and top it with almond butter, and have it as a little accompaniment to tea in the afternoon when I'm home. 

*A very, very tidy house.  My children are old enough to actually help keep the house quite tidy.  (Their rooms are allowed more slack.)  My children joke that I am a human Mrs. Tittlemouse, who was a "most terribly tidy particular little mouse" and it's so, so nice to actually have a tidy house after years of....well, not. It's not "perfect" because I am okay with real life happening around here, but keeping things super neat is much easier now. 

*My new pink Lands End slippers--so cozy.  They were a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law, and they're wonderful.

*Dreaming of warm weather: the gardening (I bought a Coolibar shirt specifically for gardening), the trips (I'm taking my children and husband on an epic sightseeing trip to Charleston, and last night sneezed and coughed as I researched possible beach houses for later in the year...), the hikes......

*Sleeping.  I let my children sleep as late as they like during this season.  And my Fitbit has tracked my sleep this week--proving that I, too, get lots of rest.  I almost always get exactly 8 hours a night--without setting an alarm.  As I get older, I've noticed that my body will sometimes completely ignore an alarm and sleep for 8 hours without my consent.  It's so strange!  But, I am a much happier person when I have gotten plenty of rest, so I am happy to be able to sleep.

*Tons of piano music every day: Finn practices a lot, and he's working especially hard right now in preparation for his piano festival in March.  It's the best thing ever.  I just love hearing him play--he has far, far exceeded my ability (I took lessons as a child). 

*A little violin music every day: Annie is learning!  And I am trying to practice a bit each day,too. 

*Fields around us getting green with the winter crops my cousin planted: a blend of oats, millet, sorghum, etc.  When they begin to grow they turn the winter fields a beautiful bright lush green. 

*Remission.  My husband continues to be in remission.  His oncologists have lengthened his leash a little bit: we had to return to UNC every 2 months, because his cancer was so aggressive and threatening, but in December we were told that we're allowed to go THREE MONTHS now!  His next checkup, with his surgeon, is in about a month.  Every visit that we tick off the calendar is one closer to complete remission.  Although some of his limitations from surgery and radiation will be lifelong, we are just so grateful for LIFE.  It is truly the greatest blessing.  My father recently asked if my husband's speech changes bother him at all (when half your tongue is removed and rebuilt, your speech changes), and I told my father that my husband has never, not once, even mentioned it. Just the fact that he can speak at all is such a miracle.  It's a silly cliche, but when you've faced that kind of giant, the little annoyances of life really completely pale and you become far less fazed by everything.  At least that's how it has happened here!

*Annie's metallic smile: she has had braces since last year.  She just turned 9, so she's quite young for braces, but her "scrambled" teeth (orthodontist's words) warranted some early intervention. Her smile just cracks me up; she's so cute. 

*Books: I need to add in some fiction, but right now I've been working my way through a few wonderful books:

-The Restoration of Christian Culture (John Senior)

-Mere Christianity (CS Lewis)--a re-read for a book club my church is hosting

-The Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann

-Goodbye, Mr Chips (okay, that is fiction!)

And I want to make a "goal reading list" for this year!

*Coriolanus.  I had no idea who this guy was before we began reading him in Plutarch last fall.  What a fascinating, volatile character!  In some ways I am finding him more interesting than Julius Caesar.  We are nearly done reading about him in Plutarch, and just started Shakespeare's play based on his life.  I know I will love it!

(We read The Merchant of Venice last fall.  It was excellent.  Portia had some of the best lines of Shakespeare that I've read so far.  I think my enthusiasm was heightened because it features the courtroom scene, too.)

I hope your winter has glimmers of warmth and light!