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Winter
is here. An icy season of snowstorms, miserable wind and dangerous
road conditions. Of course, I live in Fargo, North Dakota, the
blizzard capitol of the United States. For those of you lucky enough
to live in warmer climates, this might be an entertaining look at
how the other half lives.
I have compiled a list of simple,
inexpensive ways to celebrate the joy of winter, even if
"winter" simply means you must don a heavier sweater. [Do
I sound envious? That is because I am!]
Who can resist the thrill of the
first snowfall? Silent flakes gently cover everything with a
pristine blanket of pure white. As long as you are safe inside, the
power of a blustery blizzard can take your breath away. The branches
of trees and bare bushes are frosted with dazzling ice crystals.
 There
are myriad outdoor activities to indulge in during the winter. Build
a snowman with your kids. Make it gigantic, lumpy, silly or
perfectly round; the fun is in building it. Throw snowballs at your
mate-a friendly fight with soft snowballs is a great way to burn
calories and heat up the flames of your romance.
For the sports-minded, there is
skiing, both downhill and cross-country, ice skating, snowboarding,
snowmobiling, as well as simply hiking through the snow. Another
activity is taking photographs of your familiar neighborhood
transformed into a winter wonderland. When a rosy dawn spreads over
snow-covered landscapes it paints a breathtaking scene of pastel
beauty. Or the brilliant blue of a sunny day, the air crisp with
cold.
How about wildlife? There’s nothing
prettier than a pure white artic hare, blending into the snow or a
group of deer with heavy winter coats grazing in denuded fields and
parks.
When you are tired of the outdoors or
you are frozen to the bone, head inside for lots of indoor fun. My
family loves to have hot chocolate parties. We sip steaming cups
around the table and talk about our day. A novel idea is toasting
marshmallows-indoors. A fireplace is ideal if you are lucky enough
to have one. Other alternatives are an indoor grill or a stove
burner, with adult supervision.
Reading is an excellent activity.
When the weather is wicked outside, you can transport yourself to
another time and place through the pages of a good book. I buy them
at garage sales, thrift stores, discount bins at bookstores or check
them out for free at the public library. My children, Erica and
Alex, also love reading. Often we settle down for an hour or so, the
only sound in the living room the rustle of turning pages.
Board games are an excellent way to
pass an afternoon with your family. Some of our favorites are
Battleship, Bingo, Sorry and Monopoly. [A little difficult for
younger children] When my kids are older I will bring out Scrabble,
Boggle and Yahtzee-games that I loved playing when I was growing up.
Winter offers a lot of advantages.
The days are shorter, so we can get more sleep. You don’t have to
mow the lawn or rake leaves. There are no bugs! If you get too cold
you can always add more clothing or turn up the heat. Bulky clothing
hides cellulite. In winter the television shows are better because
of fewer re-runs.
Only in winter can men [or women] go
ice fishing. You can start your own sport: falling gracefully on the
ice. [That’s a 9.6! Congratulations-I’ll go call the ambulance]
Finally, what would winter be without
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day? I
find I am looking forward to winter this year. I can’t wait for
the wild winds to blow while inside I snuggle under a quilt with my
warm, wiggling children.
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