In the Bleak Midwinter

Give me one word to describe how you're feeling. Cold? Disgusted? Tired? Apathetic?Oh, sorry, that's just me. We're heading out of January next week, but the cold isn't going anywhere. And I am usually the last person to complain about it. Cold is better than sticky, sweaty humidity. I stand pretty much alone on that one, I know.But I've noticed, in speaking and writing with friends lately, that the midwinter blues is all around me. It's partly seasonal - we're months away from spring here in New England, and even though there's more daylight in the afternoon than there was a month ago, February and March can be very difficult months for weather and mood. It's partly physical - we hibernate when the temperature is in the twenties. Or teens. Or single digits and even negative for much of the country. We wear lots of layers. And, of course, there are the telltale signs that all that festive eating weeks ago has finally caught up. For some people, the bills from the holidays have arrived and yikes! Even if you didn't overspend in December, your heating bill is going to be high.So. Bleak. We can wallow, and some days I'm all for wallowing. Or we can seek out the light, find a reason to wake up joyful. Here's my list:

• Coffee in the morning. Dark roast. Hot. Warm mug in hands.
• Flannel - soft and worn in. Can't wear that in the summer!
• Soups and stews. On the stove, in the crockpot. A meal in a bowl.
• Root vegetables. Turnips, carrots, onions, parsnips, leeks. Still trying to learn to like beets. Give me time.
• Meeting up with friends (as long as we're not snowed in).
• Writing! Because I don't want to be outside anyway.

I want to hear yours - come on, you can find one positive thing about this time of year. Double-dog dare you (and no licking the metal flagpole).