HAPPY NEW YEAR, Dear Farmgirl Readers! It’s great to be back another year, and here we are with another trip of the Earth ‘round the sun – can you believe we’re well into January already? The holidays came fast and left in a blur, and now it is the season to be freezin’! Connecticut is cold! The bustle of the holidays are gone, and winter hit us in New England hard and early. If I had a dime for every time my warmer-climate-living friends and family have exclaimed, “I don’t know how you stand that cold winter!”, it would be like winning the lottery! Winter in a cold climate can be challenging at times, but it can also be a really enjoyable time of year! It’s all about mindset.

I have nothing exciting to report in January; we don’t do day trips, it’s too early to plant seeds indoors, and I have the task of putting up the Christmas decorations. We get back into our regular routines, which is, in a way, nice after the bustling holidays.

Winter also brings a lot of “darkness” to New England. Yes, it’s dark when we get up, and gets dark early, but fortunately, the winter solstice occurs during the jolly holidays, and we are already seeing each day stay lighter, even if just a wee bit.

We started this morning to the sound of a very large pack of howling coyotes around the perimeter of the house. We could hear them over the morning television! Our cats and dogs got very frightened, so we gave them all extra cuddles and waited until the sun was up to take them out. Wildlife in winter months become bolder, and that IS a worry when you have pets. Falling on the ice is no fun and can be quite dangerous, and yes, it is grey much of the time. However, winter isn’t all bad!

What I LOVE about winter:

• Snow glistening, looking like diamonds in the sun, making everything shiny and clean looking.
• The sound of quiet with softly falling snow.
• Warm, cozy rooms with a blanket, good music, hot tea or coffee, and a book or knitting project.
• Snuggles with warm fur-babies!
• NO WEEDING, no sweating in the hot, humid sun. I love summer, but weeding is a hard chore!
• Making hearty, warm meals like soups, stews and roasts – meals that are too hot to cook when it’s summer.
• Creating (and wearing) cozy sweaters, cute hats, and beautiful scarves

I used to really dislike the darkness, but I now look at it as a cozy, peaceful time of year. I have a few twinkling warm light strands I leave up all year, and nothing is better than the cozy light of a pretty lamp (energy-efficient LED bulbs have come a long way and are warmer now than in the past). Twilight in New England is a beautiful time of day with the light against the snow. Winter is also a great time to get “caught up” on things we never seem to have time for other times of year. 

I’m  not a big fan of resolutions, such as traditional ones made that focus on negative things, or our perceived shortcomings, often setting us up for failure. I try to make resolutions that are “positive”, more goal oriented, or resolve to do things that I enjoy that make me happy. Life is stressful enough without adding more pressure onto ourselves!  Last year, I decided to dive back into reading, at the urging of my daughter who is a complete bookworm! An avid reader in the past, I had not been reading in awhile. I exceeded my goal, with 20 books finished, and 7,048 pages read! I also expanded my horizons by reading books of all different types – classics, history, biography, autobiography, romance, fantasy and cozy fantasy – some genres I would have never been interested in before. Some weeks I don’t get the time, other weeks I might finish an entire book or two. My goal is to make the time, even if it is for a few minutes a day, like before I go to bed. I love the website/app “Goodreads”. There, you can keep track of books you wish to read, books you are reading, see what your friends are reading, set a reading goal for a yearly challenge, and even review books, if you wish.

I have always loved listening to music during the day – usually 1940’s Big Band and Swing, but for something different, since the fall, I have often been enjoying “Cozy Screensavers” on YouTube, something I learned about from my “Gen Z” daughter and her friends. There are so many warm, homey screensavers that feature a cozy scene – Christmas, a fall kitchen, cozy animals in a room knitting (there’s some really cute ones),  a snowy porch, a beautiful, starry night on a porch, all with vintage music softly playing. Streaming that on a tv in a room makes it cozy!  I can still do chores, focus on my class planning, read or knit, but all with a warm, cozy, happy vibe!

Another fun thing I learned from my daughter, a way to treat yourself, or beat the winter “blahs”, is to order a “theme surprise box”. We love the monthly book box, “Caffeine and Legends” . Each month, my daughter and I share a box that has gourmet coffee, tea, or drinking chocolate, a book signed by the author, and other goodies. In the past, we have gotten organic chocolate, hand-made pottery, and other surprises, all tied to the month’s book. If reading and coffee aren’t your thing, there are other surprise boxes out there – yarn, crafts, flowers, cooking…just about anything you can think of. Most offer a one-time box, monthly, or three month subscriptions. It’s nice to have something to look forward to!

It’s not too often that we get “snowed in”, and when we do, it is usually for a day, while the roads get cleared. However, it does stay cold! We do spend more time indoors than we do in other seasons. As do all four seasons, winter has its charm. We just need to remember to embrace it, stop “doomscrolling” and “bedrotting”, and count our blessings.

• Watch a favorite movie/tv show – stream it, dvd it, who cares how many times you’ve watched it – think of it as comfort food for your mind!
• Frequent your favorite small business/restaurant. Remember that they need business all year long, not just at the holidays!
• Use those “special”dishes” – set the table with grandma’s china,  get a special coffee cup and spring for gourmet coffee, bake something delicious – treat yourself!
• Walk or sit outside – even if it is for ten minutes. The outdoors does wonders. When it is too icy, I might just stand on my porch or go to a public area where the sidewalks are cleaned, even if I have to bundle up so much I look like the Michelin Man!
• Books – read what you like, and also try reading a new genre!
• Savour your favorite magazine (of course it is always MaryJanesFarm  – savour it cover to cover)!
• Make a theme night and treat it like an event – dim the lights, watch a movie, and pop some popcorn. No scrolling on the phone!
• Get out – go to a movie at a theater, grab coffee or lunch out with a friend, take a walk when it’s possible.
• Clean out a drawer or closet – starting the new year organized is a great feeling, and who wants to do that when it is nice weather out?
• Turn lights on when it’s a dark day, play music that makes you happy, stop “doomscrolling” and make YOUR space your happy, cozy place!

January is at once a month of stillness and movement – “busy” but also “not busy”. I think it’s a good time to rest, recharge, and get ready to renew – just like plants, trees and animals in nature.

I hope your new year is off to a great start! Remember to leave me a comment so that I know you stopped by! Stay warm and cozy, and see you next month!