An icy wind is sweeping over Yorkshire from Siberia, bringing with it the forecast of heavy snow this week. We've already had a dusting today, but the main deposits are set to fall in the next few days. I must admit that I am thrilled by the prospect and although cold snowy weather tends to make me poorly these days due to my thyroid illness, I have my own way of enjoying it. With nowhere pressing to go, snow days are great for hibernation and I like nothing better than being tucked up, safe and warm indoors and watching the pretty snow fall, through the windows, transforming everything it touches and turning the barren, grey landscape into a wonderland of ice and snow.
Of course, winter hibernation is best enjoyed with a little preparation, so make sure you have everything you need in the house, from basics like groceries and medicines, to those little luxuries that make staying in an indulgence. Luckily, I still have lots of treats and goodies left over from Christmas and a snowy spell is the perfect excuse to open that bottle of mulled wine or winter punch.
I know that some people get terrible cabin fever when they are stuck inside for a few days, but I honestly enjoy snowy hibernation. No-one ever expects very much of you when it snows; the world seems more relaxed somehow. Schools close, as do some offices; transport networks shut down or run a reduced service. Emergency services advise people to just stay home - so that's what I do. No skating, no volunteering, no driving, no trips out and online shopping only. I just stay home in my cosy nest.
I'm like a little squirrel tucked away in her dray, watching the snow fall and enjoying the sensation of being all warm and snuggly. I am by nature, a home body, anyway. I always have been. I have hermit-like tendencies and I can amuse myself for hours on end just with a few books, my tapestry, my Gothic art therapy and my piano. Just because I'm at home all day doesn't mean I'm not being productive. In fact a few snow days are great for creativity and inspiration can often strike when the weather forces you to hole up indoors for a time.
I make myself and my nest as cosy as possible. Hot baths with lovely bath products; comfy pj's and woollen bed socks; scented plug-ins all over the house; scented candles in warm, wintry fragrances; hot mulled wine or hot chocolate; comfort food straight from the oven and feet up on a footstool, before the fire. It's heaven.
As soon as the snow begins to fall, I prepare an atmosphere of warmth in my home. I turn up the heating a notch, put the fire on and put on the heated mattress cover - this is a godsend on cold, frigid nights. I have the kind that can be kept on all night, so my bed never gets cold and it feels like the snuggliest place in the house. I use lots of faux fur throws on the bed and the chaise-lounge, or I tuck myself into my mermaid blanket to sit in the rocking chair, with my feet propped up out of any draughts. Having candles lit around the room also adds extra heat; close the doors and draw the curtains to keep the heat in.
As I write, I am burning Glade Winter Spice candles and there is a home made rice pudding in the oven, filling the house with its milky, spicy nutmeg scent. I am playing Enya's Amarantine album - Amid the Falling Snow is my favourite Enya song. I have a Fireside DVD playing, so my TV looks like a log fire and the crackly sounds add to the atmosphere too. I have a lovely stack of books to read, so I plan to mull some cider before the night it through and curl up with more novels from the Highland Guard series, or maybe with the snowy medieval and Highland romance novels I just downloaded onto my Kindle. So whatever the weather decides to throw at us, I'll be enjoying the candlelit peace of a cosy wintry-themed home, snuggled up with a steaming spicy beverage and a hot Highlander warrior...Baby it's cold outside, but inside I'm all aglow, so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
xxx
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