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Question: What is your least favorite thing about winter?
If you are not familiar with PNW winters - they are rainy. So. Much. Rain. All day. All night. All day the next day. For days. Into months. It's cloudy and gloomy and drippy and seemingly never-ending. The weather people run out of ways to describe rain. It gets dark early in the afternoon and stays dark well past sunrise.
It typically starts late October and, even though we've had one or two early springs, it usually lasts until May-ish.
I hate it and it drags me down. Kevin has tried changing all the bulbs to daylight bulbs in the house for the winter, using one of those winter lights but nope. I just get SO mopey. My personality flips like a switch with the teeniest touch of sunshine lol
I love gardening, flowers and just generally being outside here. The summers are spectacular. Mild temps, no bugs, no humidity, lots of flowers. I love it and I mentally shut down without it.
I'm really making an effort to do better with it this year. Kevin and I have started going walking with the dogs, even if it's not perfect weather.
I added a lot of indoor plants to my (redecorated/brighter) office and that REALLY helps me. (shout out to Ethan who told me about coffee grounds to save my dying plants lol) I've added more since this picture and there's a big Monstera in the corner. The light hits the plants in such a pretty way, even in winter.
We found a year round farmers market in Portland, OR and, if you know me, it's all about plants and food (& dogs lol) and that's been a huge mood boost having that every Saturday. Bonus for it being near Powell's Bookstore.
We're also going to try to go see a few old movies. We have several small indie theaters that have older movie programs in the winter. Even silent films with live orchestras.
I'm taking up a few hobbies too. I'm learning Chinese on Duolingo. We have a large Asian population out here, including botanical gardens, restaurants, and grocery stores & I thought would be nice to know what I'm looking at lol
I got an embroidery kit to learn the stitches. Not because I want to embroider but because I wanted to try the Japanese art of mending: Shashiko. You basically mend, say, the your hole in your jeans with a patch - but then add a pretty/colorful stitch or pattern to reinforce it. I have no idea how long I'll stick to this hobby lol but I have a hole in my jeans and had this great idea to to fix it using the shashiko technique.
And, of course, I bake!
What are your least favorite things about winter?
I am exactly the opposite. I love Winter, the overcast days and the cloudy, cool days. I hate Summer, all the bright blue skies and heat. So much heat.
ReplyDeleteI was you when I lived in FL. I LOVED winter! I finally got a break from heat/bugs/humidity.
DeleteSummers out here are incredible though. Very mild and no bugs.
Yes, I recall those long gray winters. When I was in grad school at UDub, I had to go out and collect water samples from steams when it rained, so we'd be out in hip waiters, sometimes all night, in the dark. UGH! I didn't realize how gray it was until I moved back east. It's cold, but it's sunny mostly. Glad you found ways to cope!
ReplyDeleteIt's just so constant. My pretty views become a gray wall - for months and it drags me down lol But I don't want to wallow (last year was really bad for me for some reason) so I'm determined to find at least a few pick me ups!
DeleteIt's rainy and gray a lot more here in Northern California than it was in Southern California, but I don't think much as Portland, Oregon area. I love to get outside, too, and when it's raining non-stop, for days (like it has been!) it can make me feel claustrophobic, so I get what you're saying. I'm happy to hear you've incorporated some things to help. Having real, living plants inside is a great idea! I buy flowers and greenery from the grocery store and have real flower arrangements in the house through the winter. It perks me up every time I look at them!
ReplyDeleteExactly! I feel trapped. I've tried the winter lights and all that but I just like being outside and one tiny ray of sun will totally transform me lol
DeleteI buy flowers too. I almost always have a fresh bouquet on the table. it really helps.
Ack the sun. I miss it. At least our days are getting longer. Sunrise at 8.54 today
ReplyDeleteThe rain, I totally understand that being one of the worst things
I can't even imagine how I would be where you are lol You have so much gorgeous nature though that I wonder if I would be ok if I got to wander around int he winter. It's not like that here.
DeleteNow that I'm old(er) I hate everything about winter. 😅
ReplyDeleteI used to embroider a lot in my later teens and early twenties, and mostly on jeans and jean jackets... the hippie that I was. ✌ I have purchased new floss and needles several times over the years, intending to start again, but couldn't find the time and then promptly misplaced them all. 😏 I found a huge bag of floss last fall when going through storage boxes to downsize and put it on the shelf in my closet, hoping to come across some of those needles I bought. 😌 I follow an IG account of someone who embroiders on jeans. 🤗
Living in upstate NY broke me forever for winter lol
DeleteOooh what is the account you follow? I need ideas.
lindzanne
DeleteI love the idea of watching old movies in a theater! That sounds like so much fun. I need to be better about taking the dogs on walks, but the cold weather makes me want to stay inside under a blanket next to the fire. I've restarted learning Spanish since a lot of people I work with only know how to speak it, and I'm getting some in-person practice. It's still slow-going...
ReplyDeleteI hear ya - I have to MAKE myself take the dogs for a walk. I usually feel better after but getting going is tough.
DeleteIt's good that you are aware of the toll the weather takes on you and that you are taking steps to try and make it better for yourself. Good luck with the Chinese. My daughter did one year (to appease her NaiNai) but didn't stick with it. She said it was hard.
ReplyDeleteI'm struggling with the inconsistencies of Duolingo lol I need to find someone who speaks Chinese to explain it to me.
DeleteUgh, I would hate all that rain too, though for different reasons. I'm glad you're finding ways to make it more bearable, the plants sound nice! Embroidery is neat, you'll have to show us if you make anything :-)
ReplyDeleteI have made it to putting the hoop on one of the pieces of fabric lol I will show you all if I do anything.
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