Outside wind gusts sideways white snow. Howls as it races around our little house in the woods. Our broken thermometer says it’s 20 degrees F, but we know it’s lower. Accuweather announces it’s 18 degrees but they never know either. We’ve ordered a new bronze thermometer from Amazon, estimated arrival date next Thursday.
The car thermometer digitally showed 13 degrees as we traveled through on-again-off-again whiteouts to town earlier. It’s wonderful to snuggle beneath warm soft blankets on the couch feeling like a snoozing cocoon or a hibernating bear in its winter den.
At this moment no need to chop wood, carry water. What shall we do on our blanketed couch? Snooze? Nap until 2 p.m.? A voice in the head may insist: Get up, work, do something, accomplish chores, make lunch, start supper, balance the checkbook, but no. You’re on hold, voice in the head, because it’s mid-winter and it’s so delightfully warm beneath these blankets, so delightfully basking, so delightfully delicious.
The body slowly unwinds itself beneath the cozy blankets, doesn’t it? We’ll live forever and a day in this indoor world where wind and snow feel like a winter dream. What’s outside the window doesn’t count. It’s not as real as this hot cup of Peachy Green tea, the warmth of computer on my lap, the ticking of yonder wall clock.
Shall I read a book? Over there in Kindle world I’m reading the latest Outlander series book: Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. I’ve read all her books (some of them twice) and watched every movie. Dinna fash, ye ken? It’s a time-traveling love story, as many of you readers surely know. Claire talks to the bees in this latest book and I’m wondering who might be gone by the end of the novel. Claire? Her love, Jamie? We shall see.
Shall I watch Netflix? But no. Barry and I watch Netflix almost every afternoon around 2 or 3 p.m. We’re deep in Season 10 of Heartland these blustery winter days. Barry swore he’d never watch a horsey show, but hey, wifely persistence pays off. Now he likes the show, too. Based in Alberta, Canada, this long-running show features Amy, Ty, Lou, Peter, Georgia, Jack, Tim and oh-so-many others. We’re in the middle of another exciting adventure so I’m counting off the hours until 2.
Perhaps meditation calls? But, no, I really don’t meditate these days. It feels better to simply sit (or lie on this lovely couch) and let everything simply be as it is. No pushing, no creating, no doing. Just watching and noticing. What appears. Perhaps a moment of envy arises. You say “Hello, Envy” and feel what envy feels like as a sensation in the body. No complicated mental stories. It’s just passing through. It’s not personal. It’s just envy, coming to pay a visit, like one of the visitors of Rumi’s Guest House. One minute it’s envy, the next it’s happy coziness. “Hello, Happiness” you say and just let it be as it is. Next moment it’s boredom or indifference or joy or hunger. “Hello, all of you wee ones,” you say, and it feels so good to be honoring life as it arises and falls away.
Shall I heat up a bowl of beef barley soup? Text one of the kids? Play Jigsaw Puzzle on the IPad? There’s no right or wrong here, just gentle suggestions. How about write a blog? What feels right under these blankets on a snowy January afternoon in 2022?
What are you reading, thinking, feeling, watching on Netflix? Anyone else lazing beneath blankets on the couch? Let’s stay here for longer than awhile and hibernate the afternoon away.
Lake Superior Spirit 
But isn’t sitting, doing nothing, letting thoughts wander, a kind of Meditation? I watched Don’t Look Up on Netflix the other night – kind of amusing in a sarcastic way. I’m more hooked on Vera on BritBox though, just finished season 9 last night. Seasons 10 and 11 to go.
It is indeed, Carol. And “letting everything be as it is” is a wonderful meditation. The word to many people implies a doing. This feels more like a sense of being. I have had several recommendations for Don’t Look Up–including my daughter–but for some reason couldn’t resonate with that sarcastic humor. Glad you are enjoying BritBox–this is interesting to hear what people are watching and reading.
Amish Cinnamon Bread baking in the oven; hot Earl Grey with milk and sugar; horizontal snow here, too. Watching Poldark (again) on Roku. (sigh) Happy Saturday, Kathy!
Karen, I can almost smell that baking cinnamon bread–how lovely! I watched a season or two of Poldark and enjoyed it. Happy relaxing Saturday to you, too. 🙂
This was a cozy snuggle of a read, Kathy. ❤ I gave up on the Outlander books after four or five, I think. I often wonder if I should start over with them and then keep going so I can read all that I missed. I had trouble with the violence. Poor Jamie, always getting beat to near-death. Claire, too, but it seems like Jamie gets the worst of it. I wanted to watch the series but M didn't like the violence, either, so it was one season for us. I could have kept watching the show just for the accents and the scenery and because I love Scotland so much (I've been there three or four times and it always feels like home to me).
I'm currently reading a book written by a blog friend, "Maya and the Book of Everything." I'm not far into it yet (just started), but like it very much so far. Before that, I read "Circe," and enjoyed the telling of her story (which, like the stories of most women in Greek mythology, has gone untold for all this time). M and I have been getting DVD's from the library and watching some old movies, some newer movies, and the series "Death in Paradise" which is a kind of silly who-dunnit kind of show produced by the BBC. Short on violence but long on solving the crime and developing the main characters. We got sucked in when PBS was showing it (no cable TV here so everything we watch has to be over-the-air; PBS is one of the channels we get).
Robin, thank you for enjoying this cozy post. And I can so get what you’re saying about Outlander! I read maybe three or four of the books years ago, got bored with all the drama and violence, and abandoned them. Then I watched the movies, got hooked, and started to read the books again. Some of the violence is awful. Barry couldn’t make it through an episode–he was so turned off. But something about the time-travel, Scotland and their relationship has kept me going. This book I’m a wee bit bored (maybe tiring of it again finally?) but want to keep going.
Thanks for sharing all the books you’re reading. I’ve read Circe, too, but not the other one. By the way, Robin, I will be back to read your blog post again about the kitchen table. It was stunning writing. It has moved me deeply. ❤
Thank you so much, Kathy. ♥ I’m glad you enjoyed it. Your comment about the post being so full in the body was so interesting to me because I wrote it after feeling just that way — grounded in my own body.
Yes, exactly, that grounded feeling came through so strongly. ❤
Ah, I envy you (whoops) your ability to allow yourself to snuggle and relax. Rad, Watch TV, play a puzzle. I have such a difficult time doing that. So. Yesterday morning I taught a class (in person, distanced, masked) and one of my male students (50 ish) wrote a piece about a meditation he listens to that suggests we treat thoughts as visitors, and show them the door. HA. I liked that. Then I met a friend in the afternoon, and we walked for 70 minutes. 17 degrees. But the sun was out, so I celebrated. Finally, I let myself go at 5 p.m. and sat in a hot bubble bath for 35 minutes. Ahhhh, letting go.
Pam, I also have a lifelong challenge of sitting still & relaxing. Sometimes I think the Universe plopped me into this woods just to learn how to do it in this lifetime. Maybe many or most of us don’t really know how to do this easily. I liked reading what you’ve been doing. It sounds FUN! Teaching, being with a friend, walking…and then soaking in hot bathwater–it sounds MAGNIFICENT!
😍 xo
I will adopt this non-meditation:
I really don’t meditate these days. It feels better to simply sit (or lie on this lovely couch) and let everything simply be as it is. No pushing, no creating, no doing. Just watching and noticing. What appears. Perhaps a moment of envy arises. You say “Hello, Envy” and feel what envy feels like as a sensation in the body. No complicated mental stories. It’s just passing through. It’s not personal. It’s just envy, coming to pay a visit, like one of the visitors of Rumi’s Guest House. One minute it’s envy, the next it’s happy coziness. “Hello, Happiness” you say and just let it be as it is. Next moment it’s boredom or indifference or joy or hunger. “Hello, all of you wee ones,” you say, and it feels so good to be honoring life as it arises and falls away.
Hello, Kathy. Somehow it seems harder to hibernate when there are no others to hibernate with. Hello, restlessness. Hi there, impatience and silly demands Hello Hello dear Kathy♥
Hello, Leelah. It sounds like you’ve had visitors of restlessness and loneliness perhaps this weekend? Those are hard visitors to entertain, aren’t they? Restlessness/boredom/fear came a’visiting here yesterday afternoon for awhile. I didn’t do too good at sitting with them and welcoming them with tea. And now on to today–I hope today your visitors are entertaining or at least instructive. ❤
There are a lot of questions underneath that blanket! That the world beyond the window does not count in that moment speaks peace to me. That is one of the reasons winter is my favorite season. It’s cozy, both in mind and spirit. XOXO
Stacy, the best kind of questions that hang out under a blanket are those that don’t require answers! They’re wide open yawns of questions asking just because the world’s full of possibilities. Saturday was such a peaceful cozy day around here…not so much yesterday. Wishing you some January coziness down their in your bayou. 🙂
Yes, I agree! Sometimes I just prefer to wonder. XOXO
Tis the season of hibernation and inner reflection … and I also found an old series I loved to watch on BritBox!
It is indeed, Val! They say the local natives told stories around their fires at this time of year–teaching stories that could not be uttered in spring, summer or fall. I like that image a lot. Glad you’ve found a series you like. 🙂
One of my favorite quotes is Robert Heinelin’s “Progress isn’t made by early risers. It’s made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.” 🙂 Snuggling under blankets and drinking peach green tea (that sounds YUMMY!) seems like a great way to fight off the winter winds howling outside!
I have never before heard that quote! Who knew that laziness could be so productive, lol? It was a most lovely Saturday here in the woods. Thanks for dropping by and commenting.
I think I’ll give this post a new title: How to stay warm, busy, and content when staying indoors in cold winters. A wonderful post for the season – and soup is a great accompaniment.
There you go, Frank, you summarized this post nicely. I thought quite a few of us might resonate. The beef barley soup (my grandma’s recipe) was Thursday’s warm and comforting dinner.
Beef Barley soup is a good choice for winter. Here’s one of my favorite soups. Great for winter! https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/ribollita-con-verdure-recipe-1916975
This looks delicious, Frank! Thanks for sharing.
What a lovely cozy read. I absolutely love a day of pfaffing. Read a little, watch a little, write a little. No deadlines, no rushing, just being.
It’s been so darn cold in my neck of the woods (mind you, it’s been cold in many places!)
I’m currently reading “Cider with Rosie” by Laurie Lee. It’s delicious prose and I cannot for the life of me remember who suggested it! I shall have to get parts 2 and 3 of this autobiographical trilogy.
I watched Outlander and absolutely loved it. I think I am a season behind, but am not sure. I have to check,
I just started watched The Great on Prime. It’s cheeky and funny – Catherine really must find a way to get rid of Peter the Nothing (he hasn’t merited the title Great as his father did).
Today is a more reasonable temp so I shall force myself to go out there and get some air!
Have a lovely Sunday!
Pfaffing! I have never heard that word before, Dale. Do you make up words like I do, or do folks use this term in your neck of the woods? I am also appreciating your suggestion for the book. Did you hear that the new Outlander show will be out on Starz the first week in March? Hope your weather stays reasonable–ours is darn cold today–but tomorrow looks a little more toasty by ten degrees.
I read it once and adopted it 🙂 I think it properly conveys laziness with a purpose 😉
I`m going to have to get the 2nd and 3rd parts!
Ooohh… I somehow feel like I’m a season behind. I should check! It’s pretty cold today. (9F, feels like 0) but feels so much warmer after yesterday! I’m going to go out for a walk before my lunch. The sun keeps peeping out 🙂
I may just have to adopt it, too, Dale! Sounds like our temps might be similar these days. This morning we have -9 F (-22 C)!
It’s such a great word! Yes. This morning here it exactly the same as yours… Sigh. Please tell me this is the worst of the cold and that February will be kinder…
Oh dear, wouldn’t that be nice? A warmer February indeed!
We can dream…
Love a cozy day on the couch with tea and a good book! It’s chilly enough here in FL today to build a fire (40’s) so I’m having a cozy day too.
Anna, my goodness–40 degrees IS cold for Florida! I hope you enjoyed your fire and that it’s warming up. My brother and his wife are down at Fort Myers Beach and then said it was in the 50’s a few days ago.
I’m not lazing beneath the blankets on the couch, but I am sleeping more each night. I am like the proverbial log when I go to bed now. As for what we’re watching, we’re into Murdoch Mysteries, Season 10, that we see on Acorn. I just started reading a memoir, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress. And as for cooking cozy foods, we’re having enchiladas tonight with lots of chilies, just to make sure we stay warm.
Ally Bean, isn’t it lovely when we sleep like logs and we’re not wide awake wide awake wide awake for hours staring at the ceiling and entertaining 1,000 visitor thoughts? The Mennonite book does sound interesting–wondering about that “little black dress” part. Enchiladas with chilies sounds superb!
Very nice post
Thanks for reading, Prejila.
I’ve ordered a large box of books, from Thriftbooks.com. Reading and choosing items from a seed catalog. Resting with tennis elbow, which made me slow down quite a bit. It is difficult to adjust to that, because I play the rolls of Superwoman, Supermom, Supergrandma. It’s a strange time, sitting and doing nothing. I’m usually outside everyday. But today I’m still in my pajamas, and I do need to work on building my blog for WordPress. I imagined being tucked away in a cozy home office, working on my writing. But that room is currently full of boxes, and miscellaneous items scheduled for the donation truck to pick up in a few more days. So a little more time before that is finished.
My husband volunteered to cook supper and make bread, so I have a few hours to look at roses online, and plan out some more flower beds. That is my day today. Drinking coffee, and not doing much at all, but taking some time for myself to just be.
Bearbear, it sounds like gardening is one of your favorite things to do. My friend, Deb, is just like that–she is already perusing the seed catalogs and dreaming of spring. (Except she’s actually probably not dreaming of spring because she and her husband are headed for Arizona and California soon.) I hope you find time to start a blog in your busy schedule of playing the Superwoman roles. Sometimes I wish there was a little more excitement around here, but some days it IS enough just to be. So enjoy reading your comments!
Yup, in winter I spend a lot of time lazing beneath my blanket on the couch. 🙂 I love “Heartland,” too. I haven’t read “Outlander” but I do love the show. Recently finished watching “Atypical.” Yesterday I pulled out a jigsaw puzzle and today I’m thinking of cleaning out my cleaning closet, after a walk. But I might just wind up on the couch again. I’ve probably said this before, but I love all the wood in your little house in the woods. Is the tree going through your living room structural?
How wonderful that you watch Heartland, too, Barbara! What season are you on? Are you all caught up? Thank you for liking the interior of our little house. Yes, the logs in the living room (all four of them) are structural and help hold up the roof. Nice to think of you today!
That sounds like a nice, cosy day Kathy.
Andrea, it was a sweet cozy day last Saturday. I am noticing that you spell cozy with an “s”. It seems that perhaps I’ve seen that in books before.
Yep that’s right.
Good for you Kathy. Winter is a time of slowing down and savoring. We are enjoying All Creatures Great and Small and Around the World in 80 days in our TV viewing. I can hardly wait for the next season of Outlander in March. I am a fan!
I have been watching All Creatures Great and Small, too, Alanna! It is the season for moving slower and enjoying the simple things. Shall we begin the countdown until Outlander starts? Lol.
Winter is a time for rest, most of nature sleeps so why not us. It’s cold here but no snow, I have spent my time reading Realities, Rhapsody of Blood by Roe Kayeney, It’s the last book in the series. We have watched ‘After Life’ on Netflix, it had me in tears many times but it is an uplifting watch. I have also completed a 1000 piece jigsaw which I thought I would never finish, mostly wall, two big dogs one black one white, lots of the same colour windows and curtains. I liked the picture when I brought it, and I suppose it’s given my brain a workout.
I think if we had snow I would have built a snowman.
Bright Blessings
Tilly, yep, maybe we should follow the bears and chipmunks and other animals and hibernate–or at least torpor. The After Life series sounds interesting…I may just check it out. Congrats on the jigsaw puzzle! And may you get enough snow for your snowman. 🙂
What a deliciously delightful day you described, Kathy! Sounds like it was the perfect time to hibernate. I love how you can be sooo present, and so calm… Beautiful descriptions.
Ohh! We too loved Heartlands! 😀 ENJOY!!
Reggie…certain days it’s possible to be present and calm. Other days not so much! PS We will be watching the last episode in Season 13 today. We’ve had hints this will be a big one.
Ooooh enjoy! We saw a couple of days ago that a new season has now been released on Netflix here, so we’ve just dipped into that!
In the US Season 14 starts this Friday on Netflix. We’ve heard rumors it’s a doozy…