Savoring winter

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” Hal Borland, American journalist/nature writer

This time of year, I try to think like a skier, savoring what remains of winter rather than looking longingly at the March and April calendar pages. It’s winter. And, while spring-like warmth is sneaking in a bit here and there, it’s going to be winter for several more weeks. I figure I might as well enjoy it.

To that end, I made a list of what I, in fact, love about winter. Maybe you love these things, too:

Fair Isle sweaters, hot chocolate and popcorn, being snowed in on occasion, the pen-and-ink simplicity of trees on a snowy day, having a bit of extra time to read.

Flannel sheets topped with heavy blankets, my decrepit-but-extremely-functional boots, watching the dog frisk in the snow, mittens, hearty soups and stews, pumpkin pie, candy canes, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, Skittle-hued parkas, how good the house feels when I come in from the cold.

Turtlenecks, cooking in the oven, having a handy excuse to not do something (“terrible weather, we’re having…”), weighty coffee mugs, fleecy house slippers, wool socks, fresh oranges, pomegranates, the sound of snow crunching underfoot, being able to light candles at 5 p.m.

Snow men, dogs wearing coats and boots, movie-marathon weekends, oatmeal, The Weather Channel, the first blast of furnace heat on each cycle, the contrast of tropical plants in the kitchen vs. a dormant garden just outside the door.

It’s winter. Still winter. But, it really won’t last forever. Yes, we really should enjoy it while we can.