In The Still of January

I've written before about my love of January. After the rush and stress of the holidays, I consider the first month of the year a gift that continues to give for thiry-one gloriously cold, windy and snowy days and nights. January's beauty touches the soul; inspires the creative; rekindles the heart. Its stillness soothes the mind, and in the process, opens one to possibilities and acceptance and appreciation of the little things. January warms the heart with amazing sunrises and sunsets spreading over fields of glittering diamonds and wondrous icicles lined up one next to the other and pastures tucked in blankets of white and rambling drifts that disappear beyond the horizon.

January's harshness is not to be dreaded. It's to be embraced with homemade soups and breads, hot cereal and hot chocolate, coffee and tea, good books, fires in the fireplace, skis, skates, sleds, toboggans, old favorite blankets, long underwear, wool sweaters, warm socks and mittens, good snow tires, quality boots, and plenty of candles should the power go out-and it most likely will!

January is not to be wasted or crossed off in wait of spring. January is the month I began writing The Reindeer Keeper. January is the month I sewed a complete summer wardrobe for myself when growing up in the country. January is the month in this year of 2013 that I will begin editing The Snowman Maker. January is most certainly a gift to unwrap and embrace. Stillness heals. Stillness stirs one's spirit. Happy January! Happy New Year!

(Above photo is of one of the many fields covered in snow surrounding my grandparents' farmhouse. The tall tree in the background is the tree we considered way far away. It wasn't. But we were kids and kids see things differently). You can see things differently-after all, it's January!



 

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