Spending Quiet Winter Days

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” 

lewis carroll

Spending Quiet Winter Days. January 4, 2025. A wet and windy landscape lays outside our Hidden Bluff home. It has been unusually temperate for this time of year which is evidenced by the occasional rose growing whether on one of our bushes or our neighbors. Local wild roses even have new sprouts of leaves. However, in the PNW these milder temperatures often tempt us into thinking winter will pass us by without a stop or even a glance back. That is usually when the old man from the north makes his way down and through the gorge. Sometimes he leaves just a sprinkling of sugar white; other times he shakes hard his sack of feathery snow, covering us in a thick layer of white beauty that leaves us housebound for a week or two spending quiet winter days.

And while we as humans aren’t made for hibernating like many of our animal friends, there is a tendency to slow down and rest more. The cold mornings keep us longer under the covers and our eyes shut in a pretense at sleep. And when we do finally get up our dogs are suddenly deaf to our calls to go out and go potty. They lie quite still so as not to be noticed or else burrow deeper under the covers to escape mom and dad’s call. I don’t blame them. And when we emerge from our homes, we bundle up in heavy wool coats to keep the wind from finding its way in to chill our very bones. No, we may not hibernate, but we do like to retreat into a warm huddle of relaxation in our home.

So, rather than hibernating January is a month of quiet as the yearly cycle begins anew. I read and find quiet things to do. There is no rush into the next thing. No Valentine’s or Spring decor coming up- I even left up some Christmas decor. Just to rest in winter’s quiet aura whether white or not is enough. Things will be busy enough soon. Learning to soak in the peace when it naturally comes is wisdom.

Books for a Snowy Day

The Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink. This is a cute old story about a homeless father and his two girls who are on their way to live at a relative’s house. Along the way their car breaks down near a cottage out in the woods that no one is living at and decide to stay there for the winter as their resources are slim. They are a cheerful group and take in a couple of lodgers as well. This is a sweet story with a sweet ending. You can read this book for free here by signing up for an account.

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. As much as I loved the Little House tv series growing up it is amazing that I never read the books. I have no good answer for that. However, I decided to pick up the Long Winter and was quite fascinated with how the Ingalls survived the historic winter of 1880-1881. Apparently, Ingalls’s account of the harsh blizzards wasn’t believed until the weather records were checked. The Ingalls’s optimism and outlook were inspiring. This book is a great primary resource for historical reading as well. You can read this book for free here.

Snowbound by John Greenleaf Whittier. This long poem is an account of family members who narrate stories before a fire during a blizzard. They stories cover the American landscape and life. You can read this for free here or here.

And last is one of Hans Christian Andersen’s beautiful fairy tales, Snow Queen. I became entranced with his fairy tales in grade school and still love to read them on occasion. Snow Queen is a favorite as a young girl who must journey to find a way to save her childhood playmate from the Snow Queen. It is a story of good and evil and ends with grandmother reading this verse to the two children:

“‘Without ye become as little children ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.'” (Matthew 18:3).

You can read the Snow Queen for free here.

Other quiet winter activities I am doing….

This serene puzzle with its cottage on a snowy night caught my eye and really, winter is the time for puzzles. I bought it here.

This winter-themed embroidery kit is a sweet and simple one for beginners that I am working on. I bought it here.

Doing some journaling with this lovely journal I bought here from the Victoria magazine shop. (no affiliation with Victoria magazine or monies)

And lastly, of course I am making notes for the garden in this planner I bought!

Have a peaceful January.

*No affiliates or monies received. All opinions are my own.