Why I Need Winter

Dinner on Valentine's Day - the blizzard started on our drive home.

A friend of mine, Kristie J, recently posted on FaceBook why she loves winter, and really, all four seasons.  I totally agree with her sentiments.  I not only love winter, I need winter.  I am a manic gardener from the second the ground thaws and all through spring and summer and you won't find me indoors except when absolutely necessary.  But by September, I am so sick and tired of yard work I am ready to put it all behind me.  But I surely enjoyed the gardens all season.  And all the summer time outdoor activities, warmth, day trips and beauty.  And who could complain at all about our New England falls except for perhaps the leaf raking if you must complain.  But we are all relieved when our yards are neat and tidy and the hoses are put away. After the fall clean up, I am ready to let the snow pile up and be compelled to do indoor things, like home improvements, work on my indoor hobbies,  wear sweaters and corduroy, bake, read, watch more movies at home and in theatres, and then plan for spring and summer again.  If it weren't for winter, I wouldn't do any indoor painting or the little and big improvements, repairs and touchups that need to be done yearly to keep a home in good order and looking cared for.  And I'd never sit down either.  And I might not improve any possible skills or sleeping talents.  So I really need winter to do all this plus regroup and ease the wrist and hand aches I get from the intense gardening and just chill a little bit.  And watch all the birds at the feeders and walk on wintry beaches and all the activities you can only do when you have snow.  Shoveling is such a great workout.  And the short, occasional get-a-way trips to parts south if you need a wee escape from snow and a bit of beach and heat.  And only if.  By winter's end, I can barely contain my energy and excitement to get out in the yard and dig in the dirt, smell the dirt, and implement garden plans I made all winter and plant things I ordered and do it all over again.  And leave all indoor stuff and plans for the next winter.  Every season brings its singular activities and necessary chores.  I wouldn't enjoy as much the lack of structure and rhythm that a temperate year round climate would offer, but that is just my particular personality.  Don't get defensive.  It's all good.  We're all different and there's a place and climate for every one.  And I hope you live in the one most suited for you because I have a hard time around chronic weather whiners.  The other day I was in a waiting room at a doctor's office and one woman said this, "I am so sick of winter; I can't wait to start complaining about the heat and humidity".  I bit my tongue.

Winter stuff done or to do this week in no particular order:

The tiny game room/washroom between cellar and family room - getting ready to renovate it.  Gotta do something about that ceiling.  Spackled it yesterday.

An antique home that moves a lot during the winter needs occasional recaulking along ceiling and molding - check.

I just prepped that area for new shelves - this is how it looked before I started and you'll see the end results in another post

close up of the cracked old ceiling near the cellar and the pipes I need to hide

Painting lips for fun

Touch up painting in Dan's office

This bedroom door to the King room did not close uniformly; it just got stuck and needed to be planed and sanded - check!  When we bought this house, about 10 of the doors didn't latch or close all the way.  I don't know how the former owners stood that; they were all pretty easy fixes.  New hardware or some sanding.  Now they are all done.

Fixed; now it closes and locks - bippity! The closet door on the left didn't close at all when we moved in; it just hung open - yuck.  I fixed that right away but not the other door.  I don't know why I waited.

The snow in the pool area is up to the top of the 6 foot fence in parts - that whole fenced in area is filled up like a box.

 After the crazy high winds of the Saturday and Sunday blizzards, I went out to retrieve a long narrow bird feeder that had blown off a little tree and plunged into the snow.  When I did, a sparrow was stuck to the bottom of the feeder when I pulled it from the snow and had been out there like that all day buried.  I was horrified.  It was still alive so I took it inside and set the feeder next to the radiator and poured warm water between the feeder and bird to release it.  One of its wings was injured.  It warmed up and eventually started eating seed I set out for it.  After awhile, I took it back outside and found a shrub near the lattice around the back porch and cleared an area of snow within the shrub base and set it inside the shrub area.  It immediately hopped around from branch to branch.  I scattered a couple cups of food around the clearing so it wouldn't have to go far to eat.  I cried for the sparrow while I was taking a shower that night, worrying about it and what it had endured and might still be enduring.

Having a snack

Getting ready to go back outside

Dan snuck this picture of me when I was outside with the bird in one hand and the bowl of bird seed in the other.  Seconds later I would plunge into snow to my upper thighs and wade through it looking for a sheltered place to release the sparrow.

It's snowing again as I write this on Thursday afternoon.  Dan outside getting some exercise.

I love my snow boots; they make winter even more enjoyable.

My box of paint and caulk ready to work on the game room.  I plan to spray the paint on the repaired game room ceiling through the pipes where I can't get through with a paint brush.  Wicked Awesome Paints in North Hampton will make spray paint from any of your gallons or quarts of paint no matter where you bought your paint.  Great for narrow and hard to get to areas like behind toilets and on and behind radiators.  

I try to watch this series every winter - yes, the VHS set.  Colin Firth.  

Got my order ready!

Another winter project - rug hooking

And a cook book to read

Monday's painting 

Last year's winter sea wall down the street - I couldn't take a picture of the wall this year because I can't even see the ocean anymore when I drive down the road since the piles on either side are so high.  Not complaining,  just saying.  I am just so amazed at weather and the mighty power of winter.  

Winter Loveliness and a Sugar Free Cheesecake Recipe

Flawless snow (except for those adorable bunny tracks) in sunlight that showed up this afternoon after three stormy days.  Our stone wall that separates our yard from the golf course is buried; it's like we have this one enormous backyard to play in!

And when the light came in the dining room - glorious.  It's interesting how excited you can get about sunlight when you haven't seen it for a few days.  And how beautiful it makes everything.

When it's stormy, I always feel the urge to bake.  However, I and a friend are on a little diet together; mainly cutting out sugar for a couple months.  And almost no carbs either.  I've over done the bakeries this winter and I've got to reign it in or I'm gonna get "juicy" as my step daughter Kara says when she feels chubby.  So I thought if I make something sugar and carb free and just take a spoonful everyday I'll be okay.  Here's the result and you know, it's pretty good!

Sugar Free Double Chocolate Full Fat Cheesecake

Beat the following together in a mixing bowl on high:  16 oz full fat cream cheese, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and substitute for 3/4 cup sugar - I started with a 1/3 cup of Truvia and then added a bit more.  You can use Splenda as well.  Mix it to taste first and know that the sweetness will lessen a bit with baking.  It's better to be a little under sweet then too sickeningly sweet with the non sugar stuff.  Then add 3 eggs and 2 t vanilla.  Then 1/2 cup full fat sour cream.  Beat on high until super smooth and creamy.

In a 9" cake pan with 2" inch sides or a spring form pan, grease the bottom.  Sprinkle in the following for a "crust":  Unsweetened coconut, flax seeds, and sugar free chocolate chips (Lilly brand - they are stevia sweetened and really good).  You can also mix ground nuts with butter and make a crust like that too.  Or don't make a crust at all.  Pour in the cheese mixture.  Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Don't under bake.  Do not eat this even remotely warm, the sweetener will taste gross.  Let it cool to room temp and then chill over night or the rest of the day if you made it early.  Eat cold and then it is pleasantly sweet and quite yummy.  I had a sliver for dessert.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The white things on the bottom are a couple pecans I threw in - I didn't like those but I did love the crunchy flax, sugarless choc chips, and coconut for a bit of texture.  The cheesecake is super creamy.  I imagine with real sugar this will be amazing (someday).  ;)

Ode On A January Day

No, that's not me.  I don't know who it is but I took a picture of him and other surfers out braving the whipping cold sea this morning.  I love to watch them.  I was on my way to a friend's house to help her with some packing and there were so many surfers at Jenness Beach that I had to stop and watch.  Today was just gorgeous.  Sunny, snappy bright, and very cold.  Toasty car seat, gloves, hat, scarf, boots, all to make things cozy-comfy as I was out and about.  Do you know that I love winter? Winter is a season with its own set of rules and activities and I know it requires a higher heating bill and even snow plow bills, and occasionally I slip and fall or almost fall, but besides those prickles, I enjoy the life style shift it brings as well as sweaters, snow boots, lively, noisy, colorful bird feeders, indoor projects and wood fire.  And it's only in winter that we can see the ocean from our upstairs windows because our neighbor's trees are bereft of "leafiness".  I don't endure winter; I partake of it.  I only complain about it if it goes way beyond the commencement of my spring fever, if I or a loved one has a scary driving experience on treacherous roads (certainly not for lack of plows/plowers in this part of the country - we are so fortunate!), or I tire of winter clothes.  And then I'll apologize.  It is so beautiful.  (Well, okay, unless the snow is really dirty, like late, tired winter).  New England, I adore you, but your weather whiners raise my hackles.

On another note, Dan and I have been getting together with a fabulous local family learning about our church and with our ward missionaries each week for dinner and a lesson and the missionaries asked us to share this and a picture on social media.  So here we all are last night.  Good stuff!