Still Winter

Well- what with the snow and the hail and the forecast for the next couple of days, it looks like we could still be in Winter for a while.

Here are some ideas for keeping your spirits up in keeping with the season.

Plan your garden.  Now is the perfect time to thumb through catalogs, inventory your seeds, and dream of what could be.

Write down your plans in a garden journal.  If you don't have one, this can be a project in itself fit for a snowy evening.  My friend Stephanie used pictures from gardening magazines to collage the cover of this journal for me.  I've used it for years recording when I plant and what, along with sketches, recipes and seasonal observations.

This way, when spring does come, you'll be ready.

And Food for the Spirit

Guerrilla art, and the first quince blossom.

What's for Dinner?

I just got back with my first box of CSA veggies from Full Circle Farm.  While they aren't all local, they are organic, and the drop off point is within walking distance.  Better yet, I don't have to choose which food to buy, I get to create food with what I have.  Somehow I enjoy the challenge of making something out of what I have more then trying to think of what I want.

On the way home, however, I noticed some less expensive items are becoming available.  If you're into foraging. . .

Light in Winter

It always seems to me that moss glows with an inner light.  Especially when the weather is at its darkest, it gently radiates a reminder that there is still light in the world.

While the first flowers may be appearing in other parts of the city, here in the tiny microclimate where I live, we are always a couple of weeks behind.  So on slate gray days like today, I am grateful for a little green light. 

Fashion Wisdom

I'm so happy that scarves are back in style again.  When I was in high-school in the 80's, they were not.  We had a student visiting from Germany back then, and she was never without a scarf in winter.  We used to joke about how she wouldn't leave the house without one. 

Much later, I began to realize there was something to that scarf thing.  I think its always good to pay attention to traditional wisdom that spans different cultures.  The ancient Chinese believed that illness could enter your body through points in the neck.  Keeping these points covered can protect you from "wind" that enters your body bringing such things as the common cold.  In fact, I have found that if I wrap up in a scarf at the first sign of a sore throat, I can often avert a cold.

So even though the sun is out, it is still winter, and a scarf still looks good while it protects you. 

The Year of the Rabbit

Its a new year in the lunar calendar!  The Year of the Rabbit.  The rabbit is intelligent, sophisticated, and cautious.  He focuses more on cultivating home and happiness.

Even though it is a new year, it is still the season of winter.  Winter is about quietly renewing your resources just as the earth is renewing resources by quietly composting the vegetation dropped in the fall.  This process is quiet, hidden under a layer of snow.  While it appears that nothing is happening, in fact, if this renewal does not take place, the rest of the year will not be productive. 

This is always true of creativity.  Without a fallow period, nothing new can be born.  While it seems like nothing is happening in our lives, preparation is being made for new growth.  Have patience and do not try to push forward just yet.  Instead, it is a good time to gather knowledge and information so that you can clarify your goals for the new year.  The clearer they are, the easier it will be to see the necessary steps that must be taken when the time is right.