As we get closer and closer to Christmas, I’ve been thinking a lot about winter. I love the cold, the snow, the frosty windows. Amy Beth, from Abundant Harvest Organics asked me to write down a few things about Canadian winters for a small feature in the winter digital magazine that they’ve just released. I thought I’d share some of those thoughts here too.

Growing up in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, I experienced my share of cold winters. I didn’t think I liked the cold and the snow. I guess you always want what you don’t have. When I had fall and winter, I longed for heat. Now I have heat and I’d love to go back to having real seasons again. 😉 This will be my 14th mild winter (because I lived in Texas before California). Since this is as cold as it’s gonna get, it’s definitely my favorite season.

During Canadian winters, I love looking out the window and seeing the world covered by a blanket of snow. I love to stand outside, when the snow is up to my knees, and there are huge snowbanks from the last time the streets were plowed. It’s quiet. Peaceful. Beautiful. The air smells cold. There are no footprints, apart from my solitary set. The snow seems to mute the sound, so all that can be heard is the wind blowing through the sleeping tree branches. The world is still, except for the huge snowflakes drifting to the earth. And then I’d fall backwards and just lay there, in the snow, silent, looking up at the flakes as they fall, blinking as they land on my eyelashes. It’s one of the more peaceful, lonely, happy, comforting memories I can conjure up. I’d lay there until I got cold. Or maybe until someone else came outside, their winter boots crunching in the fresh snow. If it’s not too cold, and the snow is wetter, someone might throw a snowball. We’d build forts and mazes, we’d walk over to the elementary school and toboggan down the hill. We’d run up the hill so we could slide back down, and end up pink cheeked and warm, with frosty noses. If it’s too cold for packing snow, we’d make snow angels, and watch our breath turn into white vapor and float away. At Christmastime the whole family tromps through the forest in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Sliding down hills, shaking the snow off sleepy pines so it lands on someone’s head. Laughing, shouting, playing.

Then we get to come inside to get warm.

Mom usually heats a pot of milk on the stove, for hot chocolate. I love sitting by the fireplace with the family, hot beverages in hand, quilts on laps, books to be read. I love being cold, so I can be cozy.

So with that, and with visions of snowflakes and hot chocolate and laughter, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a blessed New Year. I’ll be back with new posts in 2015.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Family Holidays Snow