Every year when the weather gets colder, I'm dealing with two forces. One is an urge to have a winter project, to look forward to, long and engrossing. The other is a need to hibernate. These are not compatible aims.
So I'm reading Wintering to see what she has to say about the notion of hibernation, and why rest is good , not an admission of defeat.
We get so much encouragement when we're busy, even worn out, not when we're taking our time. She gets into rituals, guilt over illness, need to pace ourselves before we drop, and is definitely worth reading.
Old age is no protection. Not when we read about people in their nineties running marathons and doing the Appalachian trail and knitting lifesize palaces. Good for them, but it tends to translate into: why aren't you doing that, then?
Meanwhile, back at the stove, winter or not, food needs to happen. Roast vegetables and a soup that is so filling it's a meal in itself.
Here's the finished product, cream of tomato, quinoa, red lentils, and cashews
