Snow day!!!

Another snow day!
Snow days are wonderful.

We’ve had lots of them so far this winter.  

Lots of opportunity to enjoy Michigan winter.

Disclaimer:  even though I am no longer a teacher or a student nor am I personally affected by snow days, I still notice them - perhaps because they were always such a wonderful part of winter.

…

During the years we lived “on the road” we were away from Michigan for four winters. Despite our fun adventures in beautiful places, I had begun to feel like something was missing.

The kids and grand-kids. Obviously. 

And friends.
And a sense of belonging and community...

And then one day I happened upon an article that grabbed my attention. 

…

I started reading it and then I stopped reading so I could write about it.
I simply had to interact with what I was reading.
I was compelled to try to capture these thoughts and feelings.

I found myself crying as I read some more and as I wrote some more.

I began to recognize some of what I was missing.  
Some of the nostalgia associated with Michigan winters for me.

…

Snow days...
  

Memories from my childhood.

The smell of fresh bread baking. 

Curled up with a good book.

Going sledding on the big hill on the dead-end road.

Clambering up onto the huge snow banks piled high by the snow plows.

Coming back inside the house chilled to the bone.
Standing over the huge floor register as the warmth rising from the furnace below spread through those cold muscles.

Maybe get out a big jigsaw puzzle.

Definitely a holiday feel.

…

And then there were the memories from our years as teachers and with our own kids...

A roaring fire in the fireplace.
Not having to do anything or go anywhere - unless we decided to walk to Grandpa and Grandma’s place.  
Or to maybe walk a little farther across the fields to the other grandparents!
Or just listen to our boots crunching the snow as we walked through the silent woods.

…

But it wasn’t just the snow days.  Even when life was moving along on a “normal” schedule, something was different about wintertime. Something special and valuable. 
A sense of coziness.  
Not really hibernation, but of feeling snug and at peace.  
Of having time to breathe. 
Time to BE and not just DO.  

Maybe I shouldn’t say this out loud, but I really loved January and February - because I felt like they offered a chance to slow down and think.  To process life.  To learn. To read and study.

…

And so on the day I read that article I remembered what I loved about Michigan winter. 

I learned that “Norwegians … have a word, koselig, that means a sense of coziness. It’s like the best parts of Christmas, without all the stress.”  

Yes!  That’s it.  Or at least, that’s part of it.

That’s what I was missing. What I was wishing for.

And so I kept writing and thinking - trying to articulate what I was feeling.  

And of course I wondered what hubby would think.

He had been the one who wanted to get out of Michigan winter.

He had suggested that we try it for at least one year and then maybe alternate - one winter in the south and the next in Michigan.  I had agreed to give it a try.  

We spent that first winter in the tropics and I was okay.  And then we got our RV and did two more winters in the south - as far south as we could drive the rig.  And then we flew to the tropics one more time. We found some great spots in each of those winters.  

So what would he think?

He quickly agreed that it was certainly my turn.  AND he even felt like he also was ready to come off the road and settle down for a bit.  So we decided to give it a try.  

And…

Not only did we survive a Michigan winter, but we found ourselves ready to buy a house and put down roots.  In fact that was his idea.  He realized that he was ready for some “projects” - as in to do some carpentry again.

…

Years earlier, when we put the tree farm up for sale we had decided to try out the life on the road and then see whether we ever felt like buying property again.

And here we are - in an old historic house with lots of projects to be done.   

And here we are - smack dab in the middle of a Michigan winter.

Granted; I have to admit that winter in the city is far different than winter in the country - but some things might actually be better.  

Like the fact that we can walk to The Local Grocer if we run out of supplies.

AND the cafe next door is still a bustling place - a community gathering spot - even on a snow day!  That’s fun.

But...
Snow days don't automatically mean a slower pace and a sense of cozy peace.
I still have my strong tendency to let my schedule get too busy - especially because there are so many fun opportunities that come with living here. Therefore I have had to make deliberate and even difficult choices to slow my life down so that I can once again bask in the glow of my Michigan winter.

And oh, yes, I readily admit that there are lots of things about Michigan winters that are NOT fun or warm and cozy.  Duh. Dealing with snow and wind and ice and sub-zero temps can be downright miserable - not to mention dangerous and unhealthy.

But still I want to make it a priority to focus on the good stuff and to celebrate the things about Michigan winter that I love.  The things that I need about this season.

So here's to snow days!

Here's to slowing down.

Here's to koselig.

Here's to the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven...
...or a pot of soup simmering on the back burner!

Here's to gazing out at the beautiful snowflakes.

And here's to shoveling them every few hours!