The past few years, since being more out of baby/toddler phase, I have tried to be intentional about learning something new each winter.
One winter it was cheese. Another was buying a serger, and learning how to make garments. There’s been wool spinning kicks, felting, and too many random things to remember. Basically, I let myself nerd out as much as is healthily possible in the season that I’m at, knowing that there is a chance it’s not something I’ll do in the regular in the long term, but just another fun skill to have in my back pocket. And I really love to embrace the whole process and challenge of learning something new while being home with my kids.
I’ve probably always been this way, but now there is a teeny bit more time to expend. I find it a LOT better than scrolling or keeping up on the news cycle! I honestly feel it’s so healthy and good, especially for the winters! I remember my mom teaching me how to use her sewing machine when I was less than four years old. Basically, I have never stopped wanting to be creative since then! (I’m 40 something!)
This winter, I’ve been doing a lot of thrifting for cute containers, and I’ve been making candles. I used up what beeswax I had left, and bought a huge 40lb box of soy wax. I read that it was to ship as one solid block, so I had the genius idea to let it freeze outside. One evening when my son stopped by, I asked him if he could take it and throw it as hard as he could at our concrete floor to break it into pieces that would fit into my double boiler. We joked whether he should try throw it from the 2nd OR 3rd story lofts. It was so good, that we didn’t go that extreme because when he threw it from standing height, the side of the box blew out. Somehow it wasn’t the side of the box containing the wide open bag…. of already flaked wax! I had a vision of that coating my entire living area, tiny flakes to be swept up and melted! haha! It didn’t get to that this time, somehow. My life hack combo of Amelia Bedelia raising the Herdmans… makes for hilarious, funny, and straight up, CUTE fun times.
Pretty soon, it’ll be time to get my garden seeds going. I actually have a few lisianthus, eucalyptus, and pansies already started! What helps me to fight off the winter doldrums is to have productive and fun things to do. When the skies are gray, my internal sunshine need not be dependent upon the weather! I totally understand that we are all different, and that winter is harder on some than others. All you can do is your end of it really. And trust God to help with the rest. Because, truly, what is better than knowing that God made you, that he gifted you your life, and that he wants you to enjoy it with him? There is nothing wrong with us fully embracing the beauty of each season and moment! It’s not about whether you, your house, or your project measure up to some arbitrary standard. If we can keep the first things, the first things (with God’s help!) and model to your children a love for God, spouse, family, and learning, and letting go of fears and lies along the way… I mean… that is as close that we’ll get to heaven here on this side of corrupted earth! Sometimes the simpler things, are the braver things.
So light the candle, pick up the craft, read the book, sew the quilt, reconnect with your spouse and kids, bake the bread, play the music.
God is good!
