Plans For “That” Time of Year
Getting up to and through the holidays? Easy. Lots of company, good food, and the sort of family rituals that carry you through. My wife and I are fortunate that, so far, most of the family is local. We’ll hear from them and see them often during the fall and winter holidays, so much for the easy stuff.
The hard stuff begins about the time we put away the Christmas stuff. We stretch things out till Epiphany on January 6th. After that, it starts getting harder. New England weather, well, I can’t say anything nice about January and February in New England.
The social calendar thins out, and slowly, I begin to feel desperate. Success in navigating this period requires planning ( Remember the Seven P’s: Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!). So planning for the deep winter starts early.
The List
To the right of my computer is a much scribbled upon post-it note. On it are things to plan, places to visit, and resources to check out. What’s on it:
- Check out local Senior Center for programs and resosurces
- Resume Kata for Iaido ( Japanese sword martial art)
- Physical Therapy appointment for arthritis
- Coffee out with friends, regularly
- Seek out new games to play.
- Check out adult Ed classes
- Schedule work time in shop
- Guitar practice
- Set up an indoor garden with grow lights
A number of these will not come to fruition. But the idea is to populate January and February with enough that I am creatively engaged.
Some things have already been crossed off. A local health club proved to have an indoor track, but not for walkers, only runners – scratch them. Others, like more time with my wife, are delicate negotiations that depend upon her nighttime work schedules and daytime sleep requirements.
The indoor light garden is already set up. The LED grow lights help lighten the dining room and the kitchen. The flowers have already offered much joy and will continue to do so until spring, when our gardening activities shift to the outdoors:
Winter is also when the cats, Sabrina and Marcus, and our dog Max, work hard to keep Dad occupied and keep me company. Here are a few shots of them at work:
Why so many notes on activities? Because I have a seasonal affect disorder in the darkness of winter. I have found that keeping physically, mentally, and emotionally active, I can reduce or avoid major seasonal depression. This planning pays huge dividends.
Sometime soon after Valentine’s Day, the daylight has started to increase, and the sap has started to run in the maples. I ready my buckets, spiles, and tubing and begin tapping the trees for sap. As I begin the annual boiling of sap to make maple syrup, plans begin to form for the new year of gardening and outdoor activity.
The crisis of winter has passed.
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Jeez, that’s tough on the cats
Well, they deserved it. Lie in front of the fire, cuddle in bed, have a servant serve the meal…it’s a hard life.
I really feel for you. It’s bittersweet wishing time to pass quickly.
not so much quickly, but meaningfully.
By the looks of your list, you will have plenty to consider and do during the winter months. I live in Wisconsin, so I completely understand the cold and dark of January and February. They are the toughest months of the year, without question. I hope you have plenty of activities to get you through.
Thanks. Wisconsin certainly does have a ferocious winter. Best wishes for your winter as well !
It’s not easy. About NOW I’m feeling like myself again. I deal with the summer by trying to keep my routine, but I have to walk the dogs earlier and in less interesting places. Various things like that — but dealing with all the happy, summer people? OMG! But I’ve spent my whole life doing that so it’s fine.