Mentally Preparing For Winter

On November 1st, New England was hit with another Nor'Easter. I knew that the storm was coming, because people couldn't stop talking about the impending horror of snow. The storm didn't reach my area until Sunday, November 2nd. When I awoke that morning to find a light dusting of snow on the ground, I thought that maybe I'd escaped unscathed. However, as the morning progressed the snow flakes went from a flurry, to big fat flakes, to a much heavier snowfall. By the time the evening rolled around, we were without power. Fortunately, the power outage only last for one hour. Sadly, there are still people throughout the state without power.
It was unnerving to find the ground covered with so much snow and to feel such a chill in the air. It is not unusual weather for this time of year, but every time this happens it's a nasty reminder of what is coming. I am still waiting for the weather to change for at least a few sunny days. Since the snowstorm, it has remained overcast and wet. The snow has melted, for the most part, but it is very wet outside. I really want to pull up some sweet potatoes from the garden, but I'm waiting for better weather.
Now that all the Halloween products have been removed from the store shelves the vacancies were filled with all sorts of Christmas ephemera. I have yet to experience Thanksgiving and images of icicles, snow flakes, lights and pretty much enough jolly bits and bobbles to make one drunk are devouring every inch of free space. I'm already starting to feel overwhelmed by it all. Today, I realized that November is here, for real, I cannot live in denial any more. A long winter is approaching and I want to be prepared. So, here are some tips to help you endure the long nights....

1) Clear up the clutter: This is next on my list, it's an important step. Go through one space within one room at a time. Go through that mail and weed out the junk. File away the lovely drawings that were sketched with care by the kids. Find the places where items congregated (for me it's candles) and sort that stuff out. My darkest clutter of shame are my bookshelves, that will be a huge undertaking. This might seem overwhelming, and it's easy to put it off. However, taking care to focus on this one task over the weekend will be so helpful. As the holidays approach, we will be busy crafting, decorating, wrapping presents etc. that it will be easy for bits of funk to clutter up the space. When you're surrounded by clutter, it is hard to relax and stay focused. If you're indoors a lot and work from home, this is especially wearing. Do yourself a favor and clean it up before it takes over.

2) Start Working Out Now: When January arrives, I hear so many people talk about all the things they want to do differently in the new year. It's as though they new things were going to be crazy, so they rode the train and now feel remorseful. Exercise, diet and quitting smoking seem to be everyone's top goals. However, it is really hard to start and succeed. Between Halloween and Easter, so many holidays involve celebrating with feasts. The grocery stores tempt you with special holiday mixes that it's hard to resist the festivity. So, I know that I will be eating all kinds of sugary goodness, because I love cupcakes. I also love being fit. Since I already know that I can't say "NO" to a cupcakes, fudge or mince pies I'm going to have to start exercising now to stay in shape. The benefit of a workout out now is that not only will my metabolism be fueling all of the junk that I eat; I'm also certain that I'll be more discerning when it comes to my dietary choices. Why would I work out for an hour and then eat Hawaiian pizza with marshmallows? Another great advantage to working out, is that, physical fitness helps fight the winter blues, reduces stress and it helps to prevent illness. Not to mention, when everyone else is grumbling about joining the gym in January, you'll be ahead of the game!

3) Find Your Happy Place: When I was in high school, I found the experience to be annoying. I knew that it was a part of life that everyone must endure, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. I was lucky, I had a lot of friends, I was involved in a lot of school activities and I was never bullied. Even though I had it easier than a lot of kids, I still loathed the whole experience. I really felt out of place in high school. I didn't feel like a teenager, I felt like a twenty-something who was forced to relive their teen years. There was a big disconnect between me and my peers. I adored them, but I just thought that being a teenager was totally ridiculous. So, when I would come home from school, sometimes I'd get home before 3pm and other times I didn't get home until 11pm, depending on my activities. When I did manage to get home in the afternoon, I'd get a snack, go to my room and put on music, mostly 80's pop and 70's disco and I would dance like a maniac for at least an hour. This made me happy, it was a great stress reliever. I have recently rediscovered this in the form of the Just Dance video games. I also just put on upbeat music and go crazy (you can get away with this when you give up caring). That is my happy place; yours could be a special place to walk, a reading nook or an indulgent bubble bath. Whatever your happy is, find it and go crazy..It's going to be a long winter. Have you seen "The Shining?" I'm just saying.....

4) "Put Down That Morrissey Record": Hey, if you dig Morrissey, cool, but don't create a cave of funk and never leave until Punxsutawney Phil plays with your emotions, get out and mingle. Schedule coffee dates with the bestie, go see a show, whatever it takes to get yourself out of the house for something other than grabbing survival essentials at the store. If you were into outdoor sports when you were younger (for me it was cross country skiing and snowboarding) try to tap into that, it might be fun.

These are just some morsels of advice that I am giving based entirely on my own experiences. Winter is long, dark and cold, but it doesn't have to be miserable. Prepare ahead of time and embrace the season. I will continue to post crafty blogs and try to keep you perked up with bits of awesome. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Next dog walk will require a coat!