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“How we spend our days is how we spend our life” -Anne Dillard
It seems cabin fever has been on everyone’s mind this past week. It is a very real thing. Longer periods of confinement can lead to being irritable and listless or feeling isolated. Boredom from being indoors for lengthy amounts of time can leave us un-motivated, unhappy and lethargic on these bone-chilling days of ice, cold and snow and wondering when it will end. There is a genuine syndrome linked to these days called S.A.D.: Seasonal Affective Disorder. When we sense it affecting us after a couple of days it is time to do something about it. Most of us don’t have the option of going someplace warm on a beach for the winter, and many of us stay inside a lot because of the ice and snow, so finding alternative things to do to take our mind off cabin fever is the best way to cope with it. Each day look for something different to do that changes the routine and gives us something to look forward to. Some days I will do nothing but curl up with a cozy blanket and read a good book, another day I might plan my summer garden by looking through the seed catalogs and making out an order for new things to plant, or treating myself to a mocha latte I make myself while staying inside, or working on a scrapbook. There are days I may need to call or email a close friend as a way of connecting. I strive to keep the cabin fever at bay and not letting it take too big a hold on my psyche. And yet, knowing it is part of the season we live in, I honor it by working with it the best I can. With the cold, ice and snow we have had to postpone three winter classes and cancel a few groups (for the first time in 5 years we’ve been open). Being in a class with others is a good way of connecting this time of year also. We are not alone in experiencing Cabin Fever. If you like gardening or want to know more about want to plant, there are a couple spots left in my Healing Garden class –planting in a pot or plot. If you have a big area or just a pot, you can grow some favorite plants and I prefer growing the plants that heal mind, body and spirit. It is an enjoyable class. (I’ll be sharing many tidbits of information). The class is now scheduled for the morning of March 16th. Laura’s class on Spiritual and Holistic Care of the Dying is good for caregivers as well as having directives and other considerations for ourselves someday. This will be an excellent class from someone who has learned Soul Midwifery in England. There are a couple spots left in this March 16 afternoon class. And another class I highly recommend is learning about a new way of eating called the “Keto Way,” which can reset the body and transform it from the inside out -- with a side benefit of losing weight. The benefits of this way of eating will surprise you in many ways. I am a believer in it, as many are. These are all good ways to beat cabin fever. I would love to know what you do to help with cabin fever this time of year. Please post ideas in the comments section below. And in the meantime, a reminder to read the February chapter in Gatherings from the Good Earth, my book which was published late last year. The 350- pg. book follows the months of the year and is available at the shop (signed- see website) or on Amazon. Make these cabin fever days your favorite days. Winter will soon be over. February Blessings, Twila CategoriesAuthorTwila 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.
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 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.
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About UsWe are a Mother-Daughter Team passionate about connecting people with Mother Earth, Ancestral wisdom, and other kindred spirits. Archives
June 2020
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