Embracing the Power of Winter
Frost is our muse | Edition No. 18
For us in the Midwest, it’s officially cold season.
That means it’s time to bundle up and slow down. We are both reading “Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times” by Katherine May. It’s a lovely yet heart-wrenching read about the need to slow down in the winter season. It’s beautifully written, and she makes an interesting point about how we humans dread this time of year and tend to wish it away.
“Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare/ They adapt… Winter is a time of withdrawing from the world… It’s a time of reflection and recuperation, for slow replenishment… Doing those deeply unfashionable things- slowing down, letting your spare time expand, getting enough sleep and resting.”
Instead of dreading the shorter days and colder nights, what if we welcomed them as an invitation? An invitation to reflect, to recharge, to hunker down and prepare for the seasons ahead.
‘Between the Lines’, Frances Featherstone, 2024
Here’s to treating winter as a season of rest, not resistance…
"During that cozy week between holidays when days blur together, I spent time with five close friends. Each gathering felt beautifully uncomplicated between ringing in the new year cooking together, enjoying a leisurely breakfast, and sinking into deep couch conversations. What made these moments special was their spontaneity. None were planned months in advance. Life's greatest joys often lie in these simple moments of unplanned, unhurried time with friends.” -J
“After the rush buying gifts for the holidays, I feel frantic and try to ease into the new year but it’s easier said than done! I’m trying to really taking a moment in 2025 to consciously consume. Recently I’ve heard about people setting goals for a ‘low buy lifestyle’. My personal goals include trying to replace something in my wardrobe that’s higher quality v. adding, focusing on purchasing experiences over things and trying to DIY, thrift or borrow whenever possible. The goal is to save money while reducing clutter and waste.” -M
“‘Mindful Growth’ is one of my words/mantras of the year which means more reading is on the books (pun intended). So far I’ve started Slow Productivity and Wintering (mentioned above) allowing me to do two new things… both enjoy the long Chicago winters and come up with ideas on how to work smarter, not harder. If you're looking to sit by a fire, try to appreciate the brutal 10-degree weather and send less emails, try this read out!” -J
“My brother and his girlfriend are home from overseas for the holidays and we’ve been lucky enough to host them. Usually we serve cocktails but this week I’m trying an Asian inspired Yuzu mocktail recipe inspired by
. I’m cheating and using a Yuzu sparkling water from Whole Foods so fingers crossed it pans out. I’m also making Spicy Ginger Pork Noodles with Bok Choy a la Melissa Clark from NYT Cooking. It’s my standby for hosting.” -M
