Lingering in Stillness
An Appreciation for Winter
In Latin this week, my kids learned that September, October, November, and December were named for numbers. September was the seventh month. October the eighth. November the ninth, and you guessed it - December was the tenth.
“But wait a minute,” the teacher said. “October isn’t the tenth month!”
He went on to explain that the original Roman calendar began with March, not January. January and February were “dead months” — not worth paying attention to, I suppose.
I couldn’t stop thinking about this fun fact, so I did some extra research. Once the harvest season was over, the Roman government and military went on sabbatical and didn’t start back up again until March. They marked the beginning of the year with the return of active military campaigns — and named it March, after the god of war.
Ever since we moved to New England eight years ago, January and February have felt like hibernation months. The sun still sets before dinner, there are no glittery holidays on the horizon, and the wind is biting cold. After the rush of the holidays, I want to do nothing but climb into a cave, cozy up with a good book, and hunker down with my people.
I know Spring is coming, but I’m lingering in the slowness that winter brings. Soon our days will be filled with sunshine and activity, but until then, I’m reading a lot of books, writing a bit of curriculum, doing some projects around the house, and soaking up as much time by the fireplace* as I can.
*The new fireplace was quite an exciting week around here. We had three days without any working fireplace, so we used space heaters to keep warm. We were in the process of painting our cabinets, so our kitchen was a disaster. And then our kitchen sink was so clogged we had to call a plumber. I am enjoying every single moment of this new fireplace this winter.
Before:
After:
I just finished The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthieson for my new Couple’s Book Club* and I have so many thoughts. It’s about a man’s journey through the mountains of Nepal in search of blue sheep, a snow leopard, and enlightenment. Throughout most of the first half, I couldn’t decide if I loved it or hated it. But then one night I realized that reading it calmed my brain. I don’t love that he took this big long journey away from his eight-year-old son a year after his wife died - but I really loved taking the journey with him.
When Book of the Month sent me a teaser that The Women by Kristin Hannah would be available as a February choice, I couldn’t stop myself from resuming my subscription. Like most of Hannah’s stuff, I devoured it in two days. It was another book that I honestly couldn’t decide how I felt about it until later on. It’s very plot-driven, and it’s very fast-paced. I’ve been reading slow literature this winter, and this book felt too fast. But the ending did me in. And I can’t stop thinking about how the pace of the book really brought me into the setting far more successfully than a slower book would have. I don’t know if that was an intentional craft choice or not, but if it was, it was absolutely brilliant.
January’s Mass Book challenge was to re-read “a book you read years ago that you may feel differently about now.” I chose Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and am still working my way through it. The first time I read it, I was a brand new mother and read it out loud to my tiny baby while I nursed her in the middle of the night. I can’t tell you that I love the book any less this time around than I did then, but I am reading it with a very different perspective. I no longer live in Atlanta. I now care way more about history than I did twelve years ago (thanks to my homeschooling life). And as a writer, I’m simply in awe of Mitchell’s storytelling.
February’s challenge is to read a book in the color. Luckily, my book club gals have me covered with Red, White & Royal Blue as our February pick.
*Couple’s Book Club is this super low key book club where my husband and I and one other couple read awesomely hard books at the same time and talk about it over our weekly family night dinner.
**You can find all of these books (and support a local bookstore) at my Bookshop online store. A very small portion of your purchase will go to support my writing. You get a new book, a local bookstore gets a few funds, and I get money to buy a new pen. It’s really a win/win/win!
In case you need a pep talk, I can’t recommend this one by
enough. It spoke right into my weary writer’s heart last week.
In case you need something to keep your kids busy, my husband has discovered a newfound love for creating coloring books. My kids have been in on the planning process; together they named it Squishface Publications. It’s too adorably cute.
In case you need a reason to make your kids read the paper book, this article is a really good explanation of why the paper book really is better than the electronic version.
In case you can’t get to church on Wednesday, here’s a resource for celebrating Ash Wednesday at home. Created during 2020 for the pandemic, but it was such a powerful family experience that we still use it at our family dinner on Ash Wednesday.
Remember Soup Month from last year? I’m back at it. We’ve had Chicken Noodle Soup, Lentil & Bean Soup, and Thai Chicken Meatball Soup (gifted link) in the last several weeks. It’s just so dang cold outside, and you can’t go wrong with a hearty bowl of soup.
I discovered this Cheddar Soda quick bread (no yeast! seriously quick!) one night when I forgot to feed my sourdough and needed something extra fast to go with soup. It was excellent on night one, but even better toasted with eggs on day three.
This salad is on repeat in our house for lunch. So are these nachos.
While you’re all going crazy over Taylor’s latest announcement, I’m over here getting ready to see &Juliet on Broadway next week. This podcast really convinced me that the show is going to be over the top. I cannot wait.
When you’re done with the podcast, go ahead and jam out to the soundtrack. It will be the very best part of your day.
Loving God,
Fill our hearts and minds with an awareness of your Spirit. Grant us a willingness to see how you are working in the world around us. Help us slow down and allow the stillness of Lent to change us from the inside out. Give us courage to experience you in new and meaningful ways.
Gracious God, thank you for your steadfast love and unending mercy. Throughout these next forty days, refresh our bodies and our minds. Fill us up and give us new energy to portray your love to the world.
We ask all these things in the name of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Until next time,
Gone With the Wind! All the critiques are absolutely valid. I get it, and absolutely read it through a different lens now. And yet: the storytelling. It's epic. Has there ever been a character like Scarlett O'Hara in all of literature?
Soups!!! And I love the new fireplace!