December, I’m okay with. Early January even. We’ve got the mad rush to the end of term, a few weeks to work from home in our pyjamas, the holidays, and then the dreaded (or beloved) January conference season. There’s stuff to do, parties to go to, and the anticipation (at least for me) of the rituals of Christmas and of spending time with my family.
But the rest of the winter? Kind of dreading it already–the lack of light, everyone’s general malaise, no big bright spot on the horizon to look forward to and plan toward, and a distinct lack of long weekends (although thank goodness for Family Day). Knowing that the post-holiday slump is on the horizon (we’ve got a series called “the January blues” for a reason), I’m making plans now that I’m hoping will make my winter less woeful. This is partly my Canadian take on the Danish concept of hygge, and partly an attempt to give myself a reason to love, rather than tolerate, the winter. Here’s what I’m planning, and some ideas for making this your very own winter wonderland:
- cheap tickets to the ballet: there’s not a bad seat in the theatre, and I love a good excuse to get dressed up, compare my own lack of coordination to the dancers’, and drink champagne at intermission
- snowshoeing in the city: Toronto Adventures organizes a whole bunch of outdoor activities in the city and around Southern Ontario that you don’t need a car for (which is great, since we don’t drive!)
- hiking the ravine: as long as the stairs aren’t iced over, I’m refusing to give up one of the biggest advantages of living where I do, which is being ten minutes from a massive network of ravine trails that make you feel like you’re in the middle of the country
- holiday movies at the local theatre: yes, I’ve seen Love, Actually a thousand times, but not on the big screen in plush seats with friends
- skating!: I’m not a good skater (see lack of coordination above) but I love it anyway, and Toronto has a zillion free indoor and outdoor rinks
- making better use of my library card: if I’m going to be stuck inside when the weather is bad, I’m going to use the time to best my last year’s reading list. And it’s even easier to do now that the library has an extensive collection of ebooks
- actually using our fireplace: we’ve got a wee, formerly coal-burning, fireplace in our living room, and some winters I light it up maybe twice. While I’m not super comfortable with the implications for trees or the air of regularly building fires, the occasional one can’t help but make me feel cozy and warm, and watching the flames is great meditative entertainment
- dressing for the season: I’m thankful to no longer be a fourteen year old who privileges cool over being bloody cold. I love and feel good in all of my winter gear, which is great because I’ll be walking the thirty minutes to and from work in all weathers. And at home, I’ve got a giant fleece robe, classic men’s pyjamas, and fuzzy slippers that make me feel glad it’s not July.
- perfecting my slow-cooker recipes: I’ve long been a slow-cooker skeptic, but two recent successes have made me reconsider. It was a total lifesaver to come home to a giant pot of chana masala on Tuesday night, and I’m going to try to keep the ball rolling with adaptations of some favourite meals, like beet bourguignon, pulled jackfruit sandwiches, and misr wot.
Hook & Eye 