Friday, January 7, 2011

Winter Closet

Barbara: I know I complain about the weather. I haven’t really hidden the fact that I’m fussy
Car buried in snow
that way, have I? I’ve harrumphed about the cold, the damp, the rain, the snow, here and to everyone else that will listen (even to Deb who will have none of it!). I can make peace with it, but still it’s the lack of sun and air that I find hard to navigate with good mood intact.

Okay, THAT SAID, I have to admit that I take a bit of a guilty-pleasure every Jan 1st because that’s when I really look forward to a few months of isolated hibernation … during which I can write, write, WRITE!!!

I mean, obviously I write year-round. It is my escape, my reward, my pleasure, my pain, my job, my obsession. There are so many stories and SO LITTLE TIME!! But there’s something about hunkering in for a long haul that has winter-respite written all over it. Like an endless snow day where the reward isn’t cocoa and TV, but disappearing into warrens of stories too complex to see the light of a summer day, too delicate to be interrupted for walks or gardening or the chores necessary for greeting guests. Winter (after the holidays) is not usually a time for greeting guests. That honour goes to lazy warm days and nights.

Person using fountain pen
So for me, winter has come to mean the glory of a good long cold-induced REVEL. A revel of creating and discovering. Of editing and re-editing. Then editing again. Of polishing and spit-shining and high-gloss-waxing. It is a time like no other for me to allow myself to “just do it”. Yeah, I said “allow”, but that’s because there is a certain surrender involved and surrender is only truly delicious when you don’t always GET TO give in to it. At least that’s how I feel.

Writing is my silk purse out of the sow’s ear that is winter. You?

Deb: And that is exactly what I was talking about when I discussed the weather and people complaining about it. So I am very glad you have your silk purse to get you through. As you know, my thing is to not sit in the bad feelings.  I simply refuse to be unhappy and complain when I know that every single thing I complain or feel badly about has good side. My goal is to always try to find that good side. Now I confess that with winter I did not turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse, as winter is a frosted silk purse to me. But I am thrilled that you have found its gift for you!!!

8 comments:

  1. Oh, Barbara - What a yummy post! :)

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  2. I don't like a lot of snow,but if it's just the cold air I love the winter. In the winter I can finally get some of my MUCH needed sleep. It's too cold to do a lot of things outside,so I tend to stay inside and do things in there like clean and of corse sleep. It seems like I get more time in the winter to sleep than I do any other season,for some reason. I still have to work and go to school, and clean my house, and write my post on my blog,because I try to write everyday and do all those things but I STILL find a time to take a breath and try and relax in some parts of the day.
    Got to love Winter.

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  3. Props, Rigel!

    Okay, and Lyndise, I do have to admit I like my sleep in winter -- even if I can't always get it, I do seem to need it more and enjoy it more!

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  4. I love the post and love the pictures. Out in LA we have no real winter but this year so far we have rain and lots of it.

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  5. Oh, if only I could give into it. I hate winter, but mostly because I still have to go out INTO it... to work, to exercise. I think I'd also like it if it kept me in to write. Then again I really like writing poolside... Honestly, I like snow. It is the supercold that is January I HATE and the length of the Michigan winter (7 months or so *rolls eyes*) that wears on me.

    On the POSITIVE... you two have inspired one of my young writer friends to start a blog with her former roommate:

    http://roommate-rambles.blogspot.com/

    I always feel honored when I inspire something, so I thought I'd pass on the link, since Kas can be shy that way.

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  6. Thanks, Hart, for sharing this!! Is this our dear Kassy with a K? I am off to check her out. And I do feel totally honoured!

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  7. This was some delicious writing! When we lived in Chicago and I had to go out into the cold windy weather, I hated winter.

    Now that I'm in Georgia where the winters are usually mild(ish) and short, I don't mind it at all. I look forward to it. Barbara, you explain exactly why. I like the time without expectations or that feeling that I should be doing something outside.

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  8. Barbara --

    Thought of this post as it just began snowing HARD outside. Kiddo is excited about the likelihood of a snow day off school tomorrow.

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