Preparing to Hibernate

Colder temperatures have arrived, and snow is on the way. In the meantime, as my husband puts the gardens to bed, we are relishing the last bouquet. Beautiful, right?

This bouquet is not only a symbol of how gorgeous the garden has been all summer long, thanks to Bruce's efforts, but is also a reminder of the natural rhythm of the seasons. 

The golden glory days of fall are fading with more leaves on the ground than on the trees. The days of sitting in the sun reading a book during lunchtime have passed--at least without a blanket and fire pit or heater. Taking a walk requires a few more layers for comfort, and all the outside gatherings we've had this summer may move to ZOOM or on hoped-for mild days to the garage. 

It is time to prepare for hibernation.

If you have read this blog over time, you know that I am a winter person and welcome the inside time. Cave Time normally does not oppress me, but this year is different. 

This year we are not choosing to hibernate. This year for our own safety, we must hibernate. Living, as I do, in a cold weather climate where winter lingers for months, the opportunities to see friends and families on patios and in backyards will be greatly diminished. No matter how many layers we wear. 

Dreading these upcoming months will not help--or decrease the impending isolation. 

Instead, it is time to overcome confinement with coziness. Get out shawls and candles and a throw for your reading chair. Stock up on cocoa, and add a string of lights around inside windows. Dig out from the back of your closet, scarves and mittens. Have your fireplace cleaned if it needs it and arrange for wood to be delivered. Do you need a new robe or slippers? All these are recommendations for living the hygge lifestyle.

Hygge is a Danish term that is hard to define, but has to do with creating cosiness in one's life and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. 

This year, however, we may need more than hygge to get us through to spring. This year will require a bit more intention, a bit more thinking ahead and now is the time.

Do you need to upgrade your winter gear, in order to get outside more regularly? We have snowshoes we haven't used since living at Sweetwater Farm, but this year how about going to nearby state parks and trekking the trails? 

Do you need to gather supplies for crafts or art that you have enjoyed in the past, but haven't made time for recently? Or is there something new you might try?

What routines in your life have become boring or so routine that you don't even notice them? We eat our dinner on tv trays while watching the news. Well, maybe it is time to get back--after the election, that is--to having dinner at the dining room table. Maybe not every night, but at least some of the time. Set a pretty table, including lit candles. A grilled cheese sandwich tastes even better when served by candlelight on your best china! 

What about the upcoming holidays? We won't have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner at our house, for example, but we can gather on Zoom sometime that weekend and perhaps, each household can have the same game and we can play it together. And what about decorating the outside of the house more than usual as way to spread some Christmas cheer to the neighbors? I imagine sending more Christmas cards this year than I normally do as a way to connect with friends near and far. 

How will you make up for the events you normally attend during the holiday time? St Olaf has cancelled its annual Christmas Festival and oh, how we will miss that traditional start to Advent, but I know there will be many concerts online, and we can "attend." I bought a household ticket for the Guthrie Theater's online production of A Christmas Carol, and maybe instead of going out for dinner before heading to the theater, we will have a popcorn supper during the performance. 

This is a time when self-care is necessary, but also think about how you can care for others. Is there an issue, like homelessness or food insecurity or immigration or racial justice, that particularly concerns you? Now may be the time for you to educate yourself more completely. Read. Investigate. Contact relevant organizations and find out what you can do, how you can be involved in a way that maintains your safety. Many of us are spending less money right now. If that is true for you, donate more. 

What spiritual practices ground you? Or is this a time to create space in your life for a spiritual practice? Can you welcome a bit more quiet and solitude into your life? Here's a sampling of some of my favorite books about spiritual practices.

*    Desperately Seeking Spirituality, A Field Guide to Practice by Meredith Gould.

*    An Altar in the World, A Geography of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor

*    The Sacred Year, Mapping the Soulscape of Spiritual Practice--How Contemplating Apples, Living in a Cave, and Befriending a Dying Woman Revived My Life by Michael Yankoski

*    A Sacred Primer, The Essential Guide to Quiet Time and Prayer by Elizabeth Harper Neeld

*    The Soul of a Pilgrim, Eight Practices for the Journey Within by Christine Valters Paintner

*    The Soul's Slow Ripening, 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred by Christine Valters Paintner

*    Fully Awake and Truly Alive, Spiritual Practices to Nurture Your Soul by Jane E. Vennard

I suggest you start a Hibernation List for yourself. You know how hard it is to come up with something helpful when you are feeling blue or paralyzed or overwhelmed. That's when having a list can help. Your list can be your in-house spiritual director. 

And in the meantime, enjoy the last roses of summer.

An Invitation
What will you include on your Hibernation List? I would love to know. 

NOTE: Here's a Hygge Post I wrote a year ago

One more thing: