You Can't Spend Winter Waiting for Spring

©2016 Noreen Braman

 It's cold.

It's dark.

My clothes are full of static.

I have to leave my faucet dripping so my pipes don’t freeze.

There are wet boots in the living room.

There is a wet dog in the house.

My shoulders ache from shoveling.

I slipped on the ice and fell on my butt.

I could probably keep going on and on with my list of winter misery. I am not a skier or a sledder or a snowboarder, so there isn’t anticipation of that fun to bolster me. I don’t have a roaring fireplace to snuggle in front of, and no Scandinavian relative or friends to teach me the art of going from steam room to outdoor hot tub when the weather is below freezing. No wonder people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. See the list above.

©2016 Noreen Braman

But, you can’t spend winter waiting for Spring. Here in New Jersey, winter can possibly be with us from November through March – and snow in April is not unheard of.  Five months is a long time to mourn the loss of warm temperatures and long days. So what’s a non-snow bunny to do? For me, it is looking for the beauty of winter. Looking for  vistas and scenic shots that can’t be had in the warm weather. Looking for the sparkle and clarity that only comes with cold air.

Things that make me smile, even when my teeth are chattering.