"In The Bleak Midwinter"

Dear Family Trails,

OK! I admit it! I am not a big fan of Winter. The days are short; the weather is gloomy, rainy, and cold. The sun does not come out much, so twelve o'clock noon looks just the same outside as 4:30 in the afternoon.  To help combat this, I usually keep several strings of white lights up in the house to brighten the day. I also do not turn the light switches off when I leave each room, and I try to get outside when it is possible. These steps help…a little. Now those of you in the North are probably thinking, "What a wimp!" But remember, I am a Southern girl, and we Southerners do not expect Winter to last long at all. We expect to see the green shoots of our daffodils pushing through the ground in January and the forsythia to bloom in February and the azaleas to be radiant by April. 

Now really, is that too much to ask? 

My backyard a few years ago!

My front yard!

As far as getting sunlight and our vitamin D in each day…I did read that the cut-off line in the U.S.  for getting natural Vitamin D from the sun is around Huntsville, Alabama! That means that there are many folks in our great country who must have to work hard at finding some "sunshine" in their lives each Winter day.

So why did I title this post, "In The Bleak Midwinter?" Because, readers, we are all IN the bleak midwinter right now. 

No driving on this Southern road!

 This hymn is a favorite of mine, even though I'm not crazy about wintertime. The lyrics, written by Christina Rossetti, are beautiful, and the music, composed by Gustav Hoist, does make the listener shiver like one is so cold. But the message…it is full of warmth and comfort and hope. Like most Christmas hymns, "In The Bleak Midwinter" is sung at Christmas but could be sung all Winter long.

My encouragement today is.. get outside when you can.

 Take a walk, sit on the porch, go to the park, whatever works for you.

 This Fall I was so fortunate to have had some opportunities to get outside for long stretches of time.  I thought I would share them with you.
 The first outing was with my friend when we visited her parents on their farm one warm day in November. We had a cooking lesson with her mother; we walked to the creek so the dogs could swim; and we fed the horses. We even had some time to help her Mom pick the last veggies from their garden. All good things! That day was food for the soul!

Then the night before Thanksgiving, my husband's family gathered at a family retreat spot for a bonfire and chili supper. Our grandchildren had a blast throwing the ball for the dogs and picking up sticks. I won't even mention the connection between boys (of all ages) and bonfires! 

 AHH, the simple life really is the best!  We even watched the moon rise over the trees.. breathtaking. 

The day after Thanksgiving, my husband and I spent the day with our daughter-in-law's family at their farm. We decided to forego washing the last of the dirty dishes and enjoy a gorgeous day outside on a long hike! Glad we did. 

Are you looking at these clouds? 

Then to get in the Christmas spirit, the "DeWine girls" drove to Springville, Alabama for the Homestead Hollow Christmas Festival. Homestead Hollow is a restored homestead in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain chain. Volunteers in period dress demonstrate what life was like for the pioneers of Alabama with soap-making, washing clothes, gardening, decorating for Christmas in the cabins, bee-keeping, even moonshine-making.  If we were feeling stressed at all about the upcoming holidays, visiting Homestead Hollow reminded us that life is easy and grand compared to our forefathers' way of life.  

Santa hats on horses…so cute!

I hope these pictures and stories of life for us here in Alabama this past Fall and Christmas season have helped brighten your spirits on a cold winter day.  I am the first to admit that staying indoors and sitting around the fire is comforting-and good medicine on a dark, cold day.  But look for the sunshine, and get outside when you can, and soak up that natural vitamin D - the best cure for the "Winter Blues."

Love,
Mariellan