Baby It's Cold Outside - what do you like about winter?

SoWal Guide

Jan 4, '10 · 5:55 PM5,3491

after the holidays, after the celebration of the New Year.. things get quiet in SoWal for a while. the pace of life slows a bit. the days are short. the weather can be quite cold and dreary at times. it can even be depressing after a few months - even in paradise.

But, there are wonderful things in winter too! I find the time to do a lot of things I never seem to find time for, plus there are some things unique to winter that I absolutely love.

jewelry making or photo albums, start a new hobby, volunteer at school, etc.
finally find time to just sit on the sofa and enjoy a warm, cozy fireplace
movies movies movies - at home and the theater
playing cards or monopoly or chess or scrabble
wonderful warm comfort food
a walk in the sun on a cold day will waken all your senses!
catching up on all those magazines piling up in the living room
a wonderfully long novel
a warm wonderful bed with down blankets and pillows
a warm wonderful long bath
supper with friends with candles, fireplace, wine, and good food!
a drive or walk out on the beach to see first hand the beauty of the winter land and seascapes - with just a few people who are out and about (no tents or trash - for just a few months)
a relatively quiet community - but not too quiet! the locals are all out and about enjoying the wonderful winter that brings warmish days every week or so.
jeans, boots and sweaters!

yes, winter is a wonderful respite from summer heat - it will be here by May along with hordes of visitors to the beach!

yes, by March, I'm ready for some warmer weather. and by the time I'm tired of the quiet and the short cold days, spring arrives and with it comes a whole new kind of beauty and wonder. :wub:

I love how each season offers unique weather, holidays, special occasions and traditions.

Please remind me of the beauty and wonder of high summer in SoWal when July 4th rolls around. sometimes the heat and the traffic and all the crazy stuff happening around here can make me feel overwhelmed. But, its wonderful in its own way too.

Winter 2008 (January) - oh gosh the kids were tiny babies!!! (and it was not warm that day -kids don't care!)

post your winter activities and/or pix here.

Edited Jan 4, '10 · 5:58 PM

Replies

127

SoWal GuideAuthor

Jan 6, '10 · 6:53 PM#77

Tootsie, based on the number of posts you've logged in the last few days, I'd say there's not much you like about it being so cold either....other than you get to spend more time on SoWal.

of course I don't like much about freezing weather! there are many many things I LOVE about winter in SoWal, Florida - freezing weather is not one of them - we're total wimps around here when it comes to real cold weather - I am waiting on our average 61 degree winter.

but SSB - you are so right. I should have included on my list of things I like about winter that after the holidays are done, reading and posting on SoWal.com is one of my favorite winter time things to do - catch up on books and music and news and all the other stuff you all are talking about! regardless of the wind chill.

This prolonged cold reminded me of one of my favorite shows - Northern Exposure. More than the usual "exposure" on this episode.

YouTube- Northern eXposure - Joel's First Running of the Bulls

may be my favorite show ever. I miss it so much!!!!!!!!! the characters were the BEST! when this show ended my heart was broken and TV went downhill for me forevermore. thanks MC! :wave:

Edited Jan 6, '10 · 7:54 PM

SoWal Insider

Jan 6, '10 · 6:53 PM#78

Well, I, for one, am REAL excited! We're supposed to get 8 - 10 inches tomorrow thru Friday!! And we already have about 6" on the ground. The only bad thing is my son is flying home from a gig in Cleveland tomorrow. He will most likely be stuck in Hopkins. He cannot get back to NOLA soon enough - ha!

SoWal Expert

Jan 6, '10 · 7:13 PM#79

of course I don't like much about freezing weather!! there are many many things I LOVE about winter in SoWal, Florida - freezing weather is not one of them - we're total wimps around here when it comes to real cold weather - I am waiting on our average 61 degree winter.

meanwhile... posting on sowal.com is one of the pleasures of winter for me. after the holidays and the new year is underway and the tree is outta here, suddenly there is more time. ahhhhhhhh........ but not that much more - gotta catch up on a lot of stuff around here mainly work. and maybe a craft or two. I need to make something very special (tacky) to send to DD - another pleasure. and don't forget about the SoWal valentine day card tradition! so much upcoming funn ;-)(I know I need to get out more. I don't get out enough in winter. don't have to. love it.).

may be my favorite show ever. I miss it so much!!!!!!!!! the characters were the BEST! when this show ended my heart was broken and TV went downhill for me forevermore. thanks MC!

I luuuuuuv it when you send me tacky stuff.
And...what ABOUT Valentine's? Are we gonna do a VD exchange, celebration, etc.? Something tells me OL's heart's not in it any more.

I loved NE too!! What a great show! Great characters!

SoWal GuideAuthor

Jan 6, '10 · 7:18 PM#80

I luuuuuuv it when you send me tacky stuff.
And...what ABOUT Valentine's? Are we gonna do a VD exchange, celebration, etc.? Something tells me OL's heart's not in it any more.
I loved NE too!! What a great show! Great characters!

I don't know - maybe someone will want to coordinate on behalf of OL. I really like VD exchange most because its not as much work - maybe a homemade funn card and candy. for some reason xmas is a lot more work for me. and then I have to send my tacky xmas ornament crafts to someone who has to pretend to love them... :lol:

DD - surely you have a list of wonderful upcoming holidays (well known and not so well known) this winter.

SoWal Expert

Jan 6, '10 · 7:22 PM#81

I don't know - maybe someone will want to coordinate on behalf of OL. I really like VD exchange most because its not as much work - maybe a homemade funn card and candy. for some reason xmas is a lot more work for me. and then I have to send my tacky xmas ornament crafts to someone who has to pretend to love them...

DD - surely you have a list of wonderful upcoming holidays (well known and not so well known) this winter.

Well of course I do..and I'll post some just for you. FYI, it's National Soup Month, National Oatmeal Month and National Hot Tea Month--for starters.

I'm up for a VD card exchange. The cards are funn for sure. Let's talk to OL and see if she's up for it.

beats on hood

Jan 6, '10 · 10:33 PM#82

Is that what happened? I actually tried to get on so I could plan my booze run. Having dinner out tomorrow at Craft! What if I get snowed out?????

Engagement party on Saturday night. Dadgummit, if the roads are icy, I'm gonna be spitting fire. Maybe it will even out.;-)

Beach Fanatic

Jan 6, '10 · 10:46 PM#83

I want to be in Pasadena, CA.

One of BFF sent me a text that they arrived today for the NCAA Championship game to 70 degree weather with lows in the upper 40s.

A winter like that I could handle. :clap:

I hope Bama gives them a great game to enjoy.

SoWal Insider

Jan 7, '10 · 8:39 AM#84

The Winter Sky. You could see so much more with your eye and telescope. I also have been going our at around 4 ish just to look at the sky and how the sun sets. It has been stunning and surreal the last couple of days. I figure if it has to get dark early, it has to be worth looking at and the sky hasn't failed me yet this winter.

SoWal GuideAuthor

Jan 7, '10 · 10:08 AM#85

The Winter Sky. You could see so much more with your eye and telescope. I also have been going our at around 4 ish just to look at the sky and how the sun sets. It has been stunning and surreal the last couple of days. I figure if it has to get dark early, it has to be worth looking at and the sky hasn't failed me yet this winter.

surreal it is. love the winter sky. right now its bright blue and crisp. I want to go see a beach sunset soon - haven't done that lately. :wave:

Beach Fanatic

Jan 7, '10 · 11:23 AM#86

Well of course I do..and I'll post some just for you. FYI, it's National Soup Month, National Oatmeal Month and National Hot Tea Month--for starters.

I'm up for a VD card exchange. The cards are funn for sure. Let's talk to OL and see if she's up for it.

Speaking of homemade cards,does anyone have a cricut? I want one mainly for cutting letters for bulletin boards.

SoWal Expert

Jan 7, '10 · 11:33 AM#87

I am in - as long as it isn't called the Sowal VD exchange! I think some local bars already claim that title! :rofl:

SoWal GuideAuthor

Jan 7, '10 · 2:48 PM#88

I am in - as long as it isn't called the Sowal VD exchange! I think some local bars already claim that title! :rofl:

I think we did claim that title way back when! :rolling:

it was either that or something worse. can't remember.

SoWal Insider

Jan 7, '10 · 4:58 PM#89

Dangitall! Ice! Sorry Tootsie, but there's nothing pollyanna with this - people will lose power and it will be an absolute mess!

Why couldn't we just get a lovely Two Day Snow? Dangitall!

SoWal GuideAuthor

Jan 7, '10 · 6:13 PM#90

Dangitall! Ice! Sorry Tootsie, but there's nothing pollyanna with this - people will lose power and it will be an absolute mess!

Why couldn't we just get a lovely Two Day Snow? Dangitall!

received some cute pictures from a friend today of her two small children in atlanta trying to catch snow flakes with their tongues today.

don't apologize to me Lynnie. freezing temperatures and icy/dangerous conditions are not on MY list of Like about Winter (sorry for repeating myself on that one - I think maybe people thought they read that I liked really cold weather. uh uh. I like 60-70 degree SoWal winter weather,and I LOVE the winter season on the panhandle. its perfect - except for right now!)..

keep warm and stay safe all! :wave:

Beach Lover

Jan 7, '10 · 6:55 PM#91

What I like about winter:

~ Working jigsaw puzzles.

~ Wearing warm, fuzzy socks.

~ Watching the delight on my granddaughter's face as the flakes fall into her mouth!

~ Watching the deer run through the woods, leaving their hoofprints (is that a word?) behind.

~ Hot chocolate.

~ The quietness of it all.

Love, love, love winter. Of course I live in an Atlanta suburb and this is north to me. I don't think I could handle snow if it was a daily thing.

SoWal Expert

Jan 7, '10 · 8:40 PM#92

Jigsaw puzzles. Ok. I might consider this. Hadn't thought about doing one in forever. Yeah, I'm going to get one.

SoWal GuideAuthor

Jan 8, '10 · 9:15 AM#93

What I like about winter:

~ Working jigsaw puzzles.

~ Wearing warm, fuzzy socks.

~ Watching the delight on my granddaughter's face as the flakes fall into her mouth!

~ Watching the deer run through the woods, leaving their hoofprints (is that a word?) behind.

~ Hot chocolate.

~ The quietness of it all.

Love, love, love winter. Of course I live in an Atlanta suburb and this is north to me. I don't think I could handle snow if it was a daily thing.

all wonderful things.

margarita brocolia

Jan 8, '10 · 11:28 AM#94

What I like about winter:

~ Working jigsaw puzzles.

yes! this was a tradition over the holidays at Mom and Dads - set up the card table and puzzle and hopefully by the end of the holidays it would be finished. There was always somebody who would hide a piece or two! ;-)

.

picky

Jan 8, '10 · 12:39 PM#95

This is what I like about winter:

--I can stay inside all day and not feeling guilty about not going outside to get fresh air and sunshine.

--roaring fire in the fireplace and a bottomless supply of Italian chestnuts.

--seeing the trees. They have such beautiful shapes underneath all those leaves.

--winter food like hearty stews.

--snuggling up to someone big and warm like Merman!