Winter in Maine brings peace and quiet reflection. It’s that season when nature slumbers under a white blanket and the bluest skies seem to go on forever. Life shifts into a slower, more thoughtful gear.
On days when it’s just too cold to be outside, I get the chance to gaze out the window all the way to the ocean. (I promise, the ocean is there, just way out there.) If I’m lucky and have binoculars handy, sometimes I catch a glimpse of a passing ship.
I also love to watch chickadees, blue jays, and a host of other birds thriving in these frigid conditions, and how pretty the birch trees look against a backdrop of spruce and balsams. Nature is truly amazing.
At the same time, I am a doer. Five or 10 minutes of meditation on the beauty surrounding me is wonderful, and then I need to get busy. That’s why I make lists. Lots of lists of things to do. It’s how I stay focused and productive when the idea of stacking firewood in the bitter cold holds little appeal.
Today was one of those days.
And so, we consulted the list. On the docket was ordering craft materials for an Easter project (more to come on that)…
…baking cinnamon rolls (yeah, I ate one before I took the picture – they’re so good when they’re warm!) and cleaning (like clockwork every Thursday).
I also worked on another winter wreath. I’m having so much fun with these scarf wreaths, I decided to make another with scarves I got at the Dollar Tree.
While I worked, Trigger and Juno played, napped, and nagged me to go out and come back in about 95 times. It’s their way of keeping me on my toes.
I got a fire going in the afternoon. It’s something I actually enjoy doing in the winter. But if I start it too early, I have to tend it all day, which isn’t always convenient with a bunch of other activities going on. So, today, I waited till about 3PM.
Then I headed back to the kitchen to prep a salad and make dough for pizza night – a favorite in our house! I love this dough recipe because it’s so versatile. In addition to pizza, you can make Italian bread or focaccia with it, too. And it only needs to rise once, so it’s pretty fast from start to finish in the world of bread making.
In between these activities were smaller ones, like doing dishes (lots of dishes), folding laundry, and taking kitchen scraps to the compost pile. They’re not exciting, but they need to be done, and it always gives me a sense of accomplishment.
And thus concludes our winter day in Maine. Tomorrow should be a bit warmer, so after enjoying another cinnamon roll at breakfast, I’m planning on snowshoeing (to work off the cinnamon roll), accompanied by the dogs.
There’s always more to do on my trusty list, so I won’t be lacking for projects or tasks. And I’m expecting a delivery of some hobnail glasses I plan to use for my Easter table this year – always something to look forward to!
Time now to settle in for the evening and enjoy that fire. Tomorrow comes early!
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