The Smell of Winter

Winter is officially here, and my poor Japanese Maple did not get a chance to say a proper good-bye before the snow arrived yesterday.

And though I'm sad, as I always am at this time of year, I was surprised when the undeniable smell of winter assaulted me as I carted groceries in from my pre-storm Costco stock-up trip and I felt a little thrill.

I was surprised because I have never enjoyed winter.  A California girl to the core, I cringe every time the temperature drops below 50 degrees.  The first winter we lived here I was certain I would never be warm again.  By the time the next one rolled around, I was so miserable that, since we couldn't just pack up and head back to the west coast, I decided I needed to do something big.

Thus my "Reasons Why Winter is Great" list was born.  (Have you caught on yet that I just love to make lists?)  The list began merely as a way of convincing myself that winter was great, even though I knew deep down that it really wasn't.  But somewhere along the way I won myself over and, while I still hate being cold, there is a certain charm to winter that I miss during the other three seasons. 

In C.S. Lewis' fascinating book, "The Screwtape Letters", he writes of the seasons and how humans love them because every time a season begins, we are given just enough change to keep things from getting boring.  Yet each season is familiar in that it comes around every year.  We know what to expect each time, even though the season itself is starting afresh.  We are therefore left with the impression that we are experiencing something new, without the fear of the unfamiliar. 

For me, after living through eleven of these crazy New England winters, I feel as if I know what to expect, and this winter I am looking forward to the change.  Strange, right?

In a few weeks, though, I'm sure I'll need to pull out my trusty old list again, to remind myself just why winter is so great.  So here it is:

Reasons why Winter is Great

1. The bugs die--no more mosquito bites 'till spring!
2. All the weeds die--I have never seen weeds grow at such an alarming rate as they do here in New England, but in the winter they shrivel up and return to dust, where they belong.
3. Cute boots, scarves and coats--need I say more?
4. No more yard-work (unless you count shoveling snow).
5. No more lawn mowing!  Instead, the lawn is covered in a beautiful blanket of white and I can ignore it for the next six months.
6. I love the whirring sound of the heater as it kicks on.  Even though it should sound like the sound of my money (or rather, the money my husband earns that I abscond from him) going up in flames, it still just reminds me of my childhood in California, when the only time the heater ever had to kick on was at Christmas time.
7. I can slack off in the leg-shaving department.
8. The kids go to bed earlier, and think they are being allowed to stay up late because of how dark it is by 6:00pm when we are eating dinner.
9. My baby sleeps in longer in the morning when it's dark.
10. Warm, cozy jammies are the best!
11. Hot cocoa warms my hands and my heart.
12. Christmas time!!!!
13. I very much enjoy watching my kids make snowmen while I stay inside the house with the baby.  (Don't know what I'll do when I no longer have a baby who wants to stay in--I'll have to find another excuse then.)
14. I love blow drying my hair in the winter thanks to the morning chill, so my hair always looks cuter in the winter than it does in the summer.
15. Uggs.  They are so wonderful!
16. My favorite Yankee Candle scent--Pomegranate Cider--wafts through my kitchen all winter long.  For some reason, it doesn't feel right lighting it in the summer time.
17. Christmas baking--fudge, caramels, sugar cookies, toffee, turtles, the list just goes on and on.
18. The crisp, fresh smell in the air is amazing. 
19. I'm a homebody at heart, so I really love snow days (in groups of three or less in a row) when we get to stay inside in our pajamas all day.
20. I don't even notice my roll of belly fat as it hibernates under layers of cozy warm clothes until spring.
21. I LOVE late start days.  It's the best of both worlds--we get to sleep in a little, but the kids still go to school so they don't get stir-crazy.
22. My drinking water from the tap never needs ice.
23. I would much rather exercise when the air is cold than when it's hot outside, and though I don't get skinnier in the winter, it does help me counteract the holiday baking.
24. My uber-soft bathrobe greets me every morning.
25. I have always loved a good, long, hot shower, but I just can't enjoy one in the summer when my house is sweltering and I am sweating as soon as I get out.  Hot showers were meant to go with cold winter mornings!

 Here's to a happy winter!