Enjoying Winter!

I grew up and have lived my entire life in the Midwest and I love it here!  I love all the seasons, fall is my favorite season, but I enjoy each season for what it has to offer--yes, even winter.  I hear a lot of complaining about being cold, how people hate winter, and on and on.  I think people need to shift how they look at the season of winter, because living life miserable for four months a year is no way to live.

I look forward to winter as a time to get cozy, rest, and revive.  If you think you are stuck inside freezing, that is what you will be, but if you think, "I am enjoying a well-deserved break from all the busyness of life" you will begin to enjoy the season.  Last year, I read The Little Book of Hygge and it cemented what I already thought about enjoying what life has to give you--even in the winter!

Here are some suggestions for enjoying winter and shifting your thinking to a more positive mindset:

• Dress for the season:  layers, warm boots, scarves, wool, a parka.  I can't stand it when someone complains about being cold and they have a fashion coat and one thin layer on--duh!
• Keep warm throws on every chair.  If you are extra cold blooded, get an electric throw.  
• Winterize your bed:  flannel sheets and lots of warm blankets.  All that coziness is just waiting!  
• Eat and drink seasonally:  hot herbal tea, hot chocolate, soup and stews.  Put away cold salads and drinks in favor of warm options.  
• Enjoy indoor, at home activities.  I like reading, blogging, cooking, playing piano, cross-stitching, knitting, and watching Netflix and movies.  Winter is a great time to binge watch a Netflix show or catch up on your reading.  If you don't have an indoor hobby, get one!  Learning something new is great for keeping your brain active!  
• Get outside, even for a short time.  Why exercise alone, inside when you can enjoy the outdoors and get some fresh air.  Shovel your walk by hand, go for a quick walk around the block, go sledding or ice-skating, or just go get your mail.  Then when you are done, make a nice warm drink and enjoy!
• Don't go on a tropical vacation in the middle of winter.  You will just acclimate to warmer, sunny days and you will be extra miserable when you get back.  Save that tropical vacation for later, when winter is almost over and go skiing or enjoy the quiet, solitude of a National park lodge in the winter.  
• Google enjoying winter, there are tons of good articles out there to inspire you!

We Were Strangers Once by Betsy Carter

I found this book in a list of books to read now in the January issue of Oprah Magazine.  I wasn't expecting much, but didn't have any fiction to read, so I ordered a copy from the library and was instantly drawn in.  I loved the characters and the story.  I liked the way the author created very interesting characters and placed them in a historical setting and made it come alive. 

The story begins in Germany after WWI with a Jewish family.  We follow along as the family struggles with the changes in their country and as the son, emigrates to America.  It shows us what German, Jewish, and Irish immigrants had to deal with and how hard it was to start over in a new country.  A good lesson now when a lot of political talk seems to be exclusionary.  The title says it all "We were Strangers Once."

A well-written, very interesting story with a good reminder that most all of us are descended from people like the main characters in this book.  A good lesson to keep in mind today!

Make Your Bed, Little Things That Can Change Your Live. . . And Maybe The World, Admiral William H. McRaven

I liked the title of this book and the idea of little things, like making your bed, can help to make your life better, so I picked up a copy.  It is a small, easy read with 125 small pages (with lots of white space) and 10 short chapters.  Each morning, I read a chapter a day to give me a positive thought to start the day with and something to think about. 

I did enjoy the book and mostly liked the ideas presented, I was a bit disappointed.  Firstly, the only "little thing" presented was the one on the title--make your bed.  The other chapters are your standard, self-help ideas--never give up, be kind, etc.  and while I also like and agree with these ideas, I was expecting more nontraditional ideas along the lines of bed making.  The second disappointment was that almost all the author examples were taken from his Seal training, something I can't relate to. 

It was a nice, positive way to start my day, just not quite what I was expecting. 

All I Really Want, Readings for a Modern Christmas by Quinn G. Caldwell

Every year at the beginning of Advent I start a new Advent devotional and every year I quit reading because I am getting nothing from the readings.  This year, I spent a lot of time searching for a book I would actually enjoy and that would deepen the meaning of the season for me.  I also liked this book because the readings go through Epiphany (January 6), which to me is just as much a part of the Christmas season as the time before Christmas.  At first, I was a bit put off because there were morning and evening readings.  I am a morning person and by evening, I am tired and not really in the mood to read, so despite what the book said, I read two readings in the morning.  I know that is not what the author intended, but it worked for me.

I really enjoyed the book.  The readings were fairly quick and went well with the bible verse.  The morning reading and the evening readings were both on the same theme, but had different bible verses attached to them.  The reading themselves had lots of good advice and interesting points.  They didn't come across as preachy or too involved.  Each week begins with a calendar of suggested activities to deepen your experience.  Often they are things to think about or quick things you can do.  While, I admit I didn't do many of them, thinking about the suggestions was helpful to me.

I finally found a devotional I enjoyed and that helped me deepen my faith at Christmas instead of just going through the motions.  I intend to reread it next year!

I'm an ADD reader!

Because I work in a school, I get two weeks off for winter break and I was so excited to catch up on my reading, I had a lot of books I wanted to finish.  I have accomplished that, finishing several books during break.  I was happy that now I was going to focus exclusively on my Lewis & Clark books for maybe a day.  After that, I started to get twitchy that I only had non-fiction books to read and that  while interesting, it wasn't the only topic I wanted to read about.  So, I have come to the realization that I am an ADD reader.  I realized that I am happier reading several books at once and while it may take me longer to finish them, it doesn't diminish my enjoyment of them. So, my new plan in the following:

• a classic from my leather-bound 100 greatest books collection--currently The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
• a religious or spiritual type book--The Wisdom of Sundays and I'm finishing up an Advent devotional.
• a book of fiction literature (I like to choose Oprah books for this category.) I have several ordered, I haven't started one yet.
• a non-fiction book--currently two Lewis & Clark books
• a fun, light read--just finished one, don't have a new one yet.
• a self-help book--currently reading Make your Bed, and the Intellectual Daily Devotional.  

That may seem like a lot, but I have a book to read for whatever mood I'm in.  I may not read one for weeks, but eventually I pick it up where I left off!  

What is your reading style?

January 2018 Reads!

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

I found this book at Target sometime this fall (no shopping trip there is complete until I thoroughly scour the book section!).  It sounded like a cute, light read, which I like to intersperse between my heavier reads. I loved the book!  The story was interesting, cute, and romantic.  I loved reading about all the food the Lou is cooking and all the places Lou and Al went to.  A well, written, fun read! A bonus was that it is set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin!  I love Milwaukee!  I lived there when I was in 5th and 6th grades and go back to visit from time to time.  It is a great city and was so much fun to read about.