Embracing the pace of winter.
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Another lovely sunrise to start the day. It’s fairly cold out at the moment (35°F), but the predicted high is 55°F. Here we go again with another temperature swing. I could hear a bird singing from somewhere behind the house and lifted my Lola cat up so that she could look out the window (yea, you caught me… I just wanted an excuse to pet on her silky floofs!). Alas, she only tolerated this breach of princess etiquette for about 15 seconds. I never did figure out what kind of bird it was, couldn’t see well enough from that vantage point.
I used to feed the birds on the balcony but it made a huge mess and was… let’s just say, a “conflict of interest” during the warmer months when the cats go outside. So I had to give it up. However, it was really nice to watch the birds come and go in such close proximity to the door. I am hoping to give bird feeders another try once we have access to a private yard again.
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Some wild weather today! Unexpected snow flurries came through and then the clouds parted, sending shafts of light across the landscape. It lasted for a minute or two and then the clouds closed in again. Managed to snap a couple photos before it was gone.
Yesterday’s windy weather has ushered in overnight rain and grey skies. Tiny raindrops cling to the window. The temperature is falling again, replacing the balmy unseasonable warmth with winter once more. It’s been impressively erratic. Even if I wait 5 minutes, I still won’t like this crazy Ohio weather. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes, it’ll change”.
The birds are quiet, the cats are sleeping. I am wishing I could stop time (sleep for another 3 hours AND get everything done before 10 am). Today I just want to go back to bed rather than dealing with chores, meetings, making dinner, the list goes on. Maybe it would be nice if humans did hibernate?
Friday, January 16, 2026
Sitting down at my desk with a cup of matcha and a little candle, lo-fi tunes playing in the background. It’s quite cold out, currently 29°F. There was the tiniest dusting of snow first thing this morning but its mostly been blown away at this point. I was expecting more accumulation, I guess that’s coming tonight? The weather app is predicting less than half an inch… which is a rather disappointing.
Yesterday I went for a short walk and noticed that many of the trees had buds on them. Most notably Red Maple, River Birch, and a few others, all quietly waiting for spring’s arrival. Amazing how there is always something at work in nature, even when it seems like everything is dormant. Winter is living proof that rest is productive in unseen ways.
As the trees lay deep in slumber, it may appear as though nothing is happening, but upon closer inspection, the resting buds of spring are already present. Just as healing often happens quietly without recognition, trust that your body is hard at work, doing the very best it can. Our inner ecosystems are a reflection of the greater world around us. Similarly, periods of dormancy are intrinsic and essential parts of the cycles in nature. Rather than resisting, consider leaning in, allowing rest the opportunity to renew and restore. Listening to your body in the present is an investment in your future self. Just as spring inevitably returns, we too can tap into the energy of renewal.
“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”
– Hal Borland
Lovely reminder the rest and restoration are as important as “getting things done”.
Yes, absolutely! Glad you enjoyed reading! 🙂