What's Wonderful about Winter...

OK, after "Punxsutawney Phil" supposedly saw his shadow the other day, you might be thinking to yourself "What's wonderful about winter? Not much!--and here comes six more weeks of not much!"

Well, on some days I'd be inclined to agree with you. It's been an adjustment coming back north after our time in Florida. Yet on the other hand, having the perspective of having lived down south, some days, we're really enjoying the winter.

Here's some of the highlights of the past few months and "what's wonderful about winter"...

You can pull all those old afghans out of the closet and get lost under them in front of a great DVD--(we've been watching "Mad Men" reruns, and the old BBC series "Manor House"...)

Casseroles, pancakes, hearty stews and crock pot meals for dinner! All that comfort food you don't eat during the warm weather...

You can "waste" ( but it's never a waste!!) lots of time day dreaming, going through old scrapbooks and photo albums, putting the finishing touches on crafts projects, planning the garden for spring, spending a snowy afternoon learning--and then cooking and eating!--a new recipe or two, watching the birds at the bird feeder...

Putting on the fire place--every night!--and warming up with a spiked cocoa or a frothy coffee drink...

Hot bubble baths, and slipping into a thick, cozy bathrobe...

Going through that stack of books and magazines sitting two feet high by the arm chair...

Saturday afternoons roaming through book stores...to add to that two foot pile by the arm chair!

Hand knit wool socks to warm up your toes!

Having company over, to sit around the kitchen table after a great meal of Amish ham loaf, German potato salad and a minced meat pie with ice cream, to just talk and talk and talk...

A "hot date" with my hubby--a night out at the health club's heated pool, sauna and jacuzzi...

Feeding the deer apples at the metropark...

Perfecting my stone bowl bibimbap cooking technique...

Catching up with friends via email or the phone (because they're all stuck inside too!) or better yet, meeting for a cup of coffee (or hot cocoa) to get you both out of the house...

Learning a new language on the computer for that summer vacation coming up...

Getting together with other local women to "craft" around the living room coffee table...

Sunday morning in bed, with coffees and the New York Times and cuddling underneath the down comforter...

You can stare out the window at the slowly falling snow, nursing a cup of tea, just daydreaming...

Life moves so much slower in winter, and so do you, if only because your joints are frozen! Warm 'em up, and enjoy winter...while it lasts!