notes on february
what the woods taught me this month, and what i looked forward to
its no secret that i loved winter this year (possibly the first time ever?) so i’ve had some natural sadness for the season ending- but we’re not doing that anymore. it feels better to look forward to what comes next rather than being sad about the natural passage of time. winter will come again, and in the meantime there is lots to love.
the woods this month
we’ve had some warmer days creeping back in with the sunlight, not enough to melt the snow but more than enough that i’ve had the windows open again. we are a windows/doors open through all seasons family, but that usually doesnt count the winter days that feel like -40, except when we have a fire going inside. we’re still waiting for the snow to start to melt and for greenery to start popping up again, and in the meantime i’m starting to think about what to plant this year, and what maintenance we can do on the gardens and trees. my goal for this spring is to start a herb garden in a few large pots that we can move inside to (hopefully) winter. on the list currently are two types of basil, dill, cilantro and parsley. overall, the woods have been even quieter this month than last month. things are starting to stir beneath the snow, and both plants and animals are preparing for spring. each morning there are little footprints in the same path through the snow that stop at the base of one of our sugar maples, right beneath the tap. we didnt do this intentionally, but this is my reminder that we are just one piece of a larger puzzle, and each piece is just as valuable.
in the cottage
we’ve been keeping things as cozy as possible in the cottage this month. for me this has meant leaning into simple pleasures, and appreciating the little parts of my day as much as possible. this ended up manifesting in an appreciation for my french press- my morning coffee ritual- with whole milk from a local farm. I’ve been using the same milk to make a weekly batch of yogurt, and the joy it brings is more than worth the time and effort.
in the evenings, i’ve been replaying some old games because they have never lost their sparkle, and the ones that have stood out are the 90s Nancy Drew point-and-click computer games. if you feel even a little bit of whimsy day to day, you’ll love these games. they’ve aged well, and the different stories are always so fleshed out, the characters are well written, and the pacing is great. overall, a great way to spend a warm cozy evening.
lastly, and if you know me this will come as no surprise, but i love my bed. generally, i love being horizontal as soon as the sun sets, so appreciating my bedding is really nothing new. but this season (possibly because of the constant negative temperatures and snowfall) i’ve loved my flannel sheets more than normal. i’ll update my links with the exact ones i have, but they are the Eddie Bauer flannels with geese flying on them, and they remind me of the Mary Oliver poem by the same name. I think possibly, this poem is the exact reminder that i need to be still, and let the softness of the earth carry me forwards through life. if you havent read the poem before, i’ll leave it for you here.
love from the woods,