Winter Wonderland

It is a winter wonderland as I look into the woods surrounding my home.  Birds have been fed this morning, and I survey the broken limbs and twigs here and there from the heavy wet snow.    The snow looks like thick fluffy white icing as it sits on the branches, and now in the third day (as I write this) it is as beautiful as the first day.  I don’t remember ever seeing this “fluffiness” last so long, except in Colorado at a high elevation where I once lived.  
 
I realize under the beauty of it all there is a dark side – the branches breaking from the weight of the wet snow for an extended period of time, as well as the refreezing of melting snow creating treacherous footing.  In the country, storms are more serious than in town.  Everything remains the same for a period of time. The sun has not shown for a few days, and with no melting and no breeze the branches are still heavy with the snow, and the slightest touch breaks the thinner branches.  Keeping electricity on is always a big concern here in the country and when the lights begin to flicker it is a warning to grab the flashlights and candles and be prepared for nighttime outages.
 
With winter weather, we who live in the country need to be flexible.   In January, winter weather is expected but when it “packs a punch” we take a more serious look.  Classes are usually canceled/postponed when it gets “dicey” out here.  It happens so seldom that we barely give it a second thought – and it is something we don’t like to do unless we deem it absolutely necessary.  And this week is proving it to be necessary.
 
At this moment in time, the forecasters are saying we are caught between two storms.  We will need to postpone a group and a second class this week and hunker down for the next blast of winter.  

We are reminded again that this is winter and a time for pulling in, to hibernate more, to take it easy.   The pantry is well stocked and I will put a soup pot on to simmer, something I love doing on a winter day when I need to stay inside.  But the beauty of the snow makes me linger longer on the front porch to gaze into the woods and take a snapshot of what I am seeing.  A picture does not capture the crisp air I am breathing in, seeing a coyote saunter in the clearing close by and quickly disappear behind a cedar tree.  What I see will be stored in my heart and mind as I savor the beauty of the day, knowing another day will come with a beauty all of its own.
 
We closed the shop last Saturday and it looks like we will do so again this Saturday, as bitter cold accompanies the snow this time.  It is January after all!
 
It is time to savor the day and make a cup of hot brew – the delicious roasted chicory/dandelion & cacao"Herbal Coffee" root blend we make called mocha blend.  With a little milk frothed in (with a stick blender), a little stevia and a dash of cinnamon it is warm and comforting to savor on a cold day. (It is a very popular item at the shop, available in bulk or gift package).
 
The new year begins and the month is now half over as we contemplate goals and dreams for the new year just starting.  

I wish peace and kindness to all.  
Good Earth Blessings, Twila 
 
 
 

Twila Fairbanks is the author of Gatherings from the Good Earth: A month-to-month collection of musings, folklore, recipes and more.  She has used and studied herbs for many years, and she uses the Wise Woman tradition to teach healing from the plants. Twila lives a simple life in the woods, close to nature.  She is a “granny-woman” and Earth Mother.  Her passions are many, including:  country medicine-maker, gardener of herbs, flowers & organic veggies, wool worker with needle & hook, and dyer of wool and other natural fibers.  She loves to share “words of wisdom” she’s gathered from many who walked before her, including her elders and teachers through the years.  ​