Sunday, November 24, 2024

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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