So it’s official. I think I’m suffering from the winter blues. I am usually very good with winters, liking them even. But this year, I don’t know if it’s the really cold weather, my daughter’s refusal to walk when we go outside (yes, she will only go anywhere if we bring along her sleigh and pull her around… ah! to be 3!!!), the fact that my son is only 7 mo and screams bloody murder every time we try to put him in his snow gear or the isolation since I’m home without a car all the time, but I’m just done and have been feeling the weight of a mild seasonal depression.
I think a bigger part of it is the amount of snow and the low seasonal temperatures. I’m not insane, I understand we are in Quebec City, kingdom of snow, and that I wouldn’t be walking around in sneakers and a light sweater at this time of year, but the average temps for today should be around 0’C (32’F) and right now, it is -24’C (-13’F) with wind chill factor. Plus, too much time staring at my snowy desert of a backyard is making me miss our green, lushy haven.
What our backyard looks like in late spring/early summer.
What the view out of my window is today.
How do I remedy this? A bit of meditation this morning :
Living in the future is suffering. It has not happened yet. We are thought this constantly. As much as living in the past is futile, planning for the future has to be a flexible and living thing that moves, grows and shapes itself to the reality that may be, knowing very well that what is expected could not happen. We could have a cold summer like last year, we could have a drought… we could have so much rain that the ground is flooded… but no matter what, we can choose for the present to be perfect now.
That being said, today, I’m grateful for :
- A little man who seems to be feeling a bit better this morning, playing and happy to be up and awake with mommy.
Having fun with his tug box
- For time to sew and to practice my new-found love of paper piecing, thus adding a bit of color to my winter blues. (pattern here – allowing myself a bit of fun with the colors)
- For good friends, also on maternity leave and as anxious to get out of their homes as me, coming over for a surprise visit.
- For good, fragrant, warm tea… lifting my spirits and always making me feel warm inside, no matter how cold it is outside. (In my cup this morning, organic blood orange pu’erh.)
Stay warm everyone! Stay smiling… To all my snowed in friends : Spring will come, I promise!
HOW ARE YOU COUNTING DOWN TO SPRING? FOR THOSE HEADING INTO WINTER, HOW ARE YOU PREPARING?
Family, Faith, Food and Fabric 
Courage! I can relate to the children not wanting to walk, and not wanting to put heavy winter clothes on. I used to walk the dog with my two little ones and after a bit, they would start crying because of cold hands… Hope you continue to find cheerful thoughts and activities to tide you through till spring. By the way, what you describe as a back yard looks like a really big space to me! Lucky you!
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It’s half an acre… We are extremely lucky to have found such a lot in the city. It did come with some challenges though (the old owners didn’t take care of it and the house that sits on top of it is QUITE a project!), but I couldn’t pass up the land. In 10 years time, we plan on having set up a full permaculture back there. We have planted fruit trees and so far have constructed 600 sq.ft in raised beds (that will be tripled in the next few summers).
Thank you for the encouragement! 🙂
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FANTASTIC! Wow, that is more or less our dream. But back in Yorkshire, land is so expensive that we can’t really afford it – and you certainly don’t find many houses with half an acre. What have you planted? Before we left our house in the UK to come to Brussels, we planted 3 apple trees and a plum, hoping that they would start fruiting by the time we get back next year. My husband currently volunteers at a permaculture project and went on a course in biodynamic farming last year (he thought a lot of it was ‘out there’, mind you, but also came back with some interesting ideas). Our latest dilemma is that the neighbour’s house in the UK has come up for sale… with a garden the same size as ours, which we could ‘annex’. Do we try and buy it from abroad, with all the complications that entails, or do we hold out hoping to find somewhere with more land when we get back? Anyway, you are very blessed to have the land, even though it’s currently covered in snow. Tell yourself you can snuggle indoors and get on with crafts… in summer you’ll be far too busy outdoors!
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It’s a good kind of busy though! 🙂
I don’t know what I would do about the property… I guess I’d be kinda nervous doing it without being able to be there, but that is just me. I’m not a very high risk taker.
What we planted as far as fruit : Crabapples, apples, pears, plums, blueberry bushes, raspberry bushes and strawberry patch. Although we need to move our strawberries because a field mouse has set up permanent residence in it. LOL!
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Oh! We also have a huge patch of ground cherries. But I guess that is more in the tomato family.
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Savannah was like your little guy – HATED being confined to ANYTHING – it passes. She refuses to be pulled and only wants to walk.
I know all too well how this time of the year effects your moral and mind and how being cooped up in a house with no way of getting out can totally mess you up.
I have no solutions (unless you count wine). I offer you love and support and the famous mantra “this too shall pass”. Bonne courage mon ami. You can and will do it.
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Thank you! At least it is sunny! It could be grey, right? The weather is warming quickly today and I will venture out for a walk for sure.
Keep your chin up as well friend! It will be green soon!
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Enjoy your colorful quilting 🙂 I have always struggled with winter… now that it is staying light later each day, I can feel the gloom lifting. I hope you can feel that, too!
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I am… I think it’s an accumulation of things. But I started spring cleaning today and nothing says spring like spring cleaning!!!
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I’m okay with winter- i just kind of go through it. i live in quebec canada right so it is chilly and there is a bit of snow. but i just deal. it’s nothing i can change and there is no point dwelling on something you cant change so I’m just trying to the best of it.
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Where in Quebec, I’m in Quebec City!
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What no way! I’m in Huntingdon Quebec (just about an hour away from Montreal) google it 🙂
I’ve always wanted to visit Quebec city!
This is so cool a somewhat local blogger 🙂
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Indeed! 🙂
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I am pretty much done with winter too. It has been a good one this year, and we have enjoyed it, but we are ready for spring. And as you know we are not waiting, we are heading south in 12 days in search of it 🙂
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I know. I’m a little jealous… I’ll be thinking of you guys. Hopefully you won’t have to come back to too much snow!
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What an amazing space, so lucky to have that outside your door.
Much as I love snow I can understand having that much for that long must leave you yearning for spring.
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I think what is making it worse this year is the damage to our home as well. The insurance contractors are coming today to rip out the ceiling in our living room because our roof gave partially under the weight of the ice and snow. Ugh… At least we are closer to seasonal temps today! 🙂
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Sorry to hear that….lets hope they get on with the job with as little mess and inconvenience to you all. I have loads of problems with this house….another story another day! It doesn’t take much to send me over the edge. I replaced all the fence panels down one side last spring now after this winters gales the other side needs fixing. Somehow I find sorting the outside jobs easier than the bigger inside ones. Some spring like sunshine will cheer us all up xx
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Sending you courage.. turns out the damage was minimal and the insurance should cover it all! I feel blessed… I hope your spring isn’t too challenging! 🙂
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Thank you for stopping by my blog. The baby is so cute.
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He has the cutest face! LOL! But then again, I’m pretty biased. 🙂 You site is wonderful. You do great work!
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Thank you for including my tugging box from Laughing Kids Learn. I appreciate you providing the link back. Your location is just gorgeous!
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Thank you! And your blog is so filled with wonderful ideas! I enjoy reading through. I look forward to making more of your crafts. 🙂
Thank you for stopping by!
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Waving hi from Ontario! It’s not much warmer here (about an hour east of Toronto) but I agree, the sun is nice. I am planning to prune my fruit trees this weekend (sounds impressive right?–I have 1 pear tree and 2 fruiting weeping mulberries. And the squirrels and the birds are usually better fed than us 🙂 ).
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We have a few more (2 pear, 1 crabapple, one apple and one plum) but most of them are still too young to flower. We got a total of 28 crabapples last year so that was exciting. I made homemade pectin for jam! We got a few flowers in our oldest pear tree, but no fruit. I’m hoping this year because he is self pollinating and will be 5 yo. Fingers crossed!
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I’m hoping you’re feeling not quite so despondent about Winter later in the week, it sounded like your week might have improved. I’ve really struggled with our Winter this year too, I think a lot of people have. We haven’t had the cold so much, but we’re really sick of the wet! And there’s been so little sunshine. But it’s definitely been improving recently, and we’ve had a few lovely days to help see us through. I also think I will appreciate the Summer all the more this year for the long, wet Winter we’ve put up with. And thank you for your lovely comments on my brooches – trying a bit of machine embroidery on a small scale is another excellent cure for the Winter blues! You really should give it a go, I bet you’d be so impressed with what you could ‘draw’ on your machine. Your paper piecing looks amazing by the way, I love the bright colours in this one. Is it gong to be part of a quilt?
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Nope, my daughter wanted a mug rug… which to her means a blankie for her baby. LOL!
I really do want to give embroidery a try, but I’m debating between hand and machine because it would mean, like my English paper piecing (hexies), that I could take it with me wherever, you know?
Weather has been lovely the last few days and some snow melted so that is always good for moral! I hope spring keeps coming for you too!
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