We spent Sunday at church, and then at my parents’ house, celebrating my dad’s birthday, and just hanging out with family. I stole a few minutes down by the lake to chase beauty with my hubby.
My family is good at finding reasons to celebrate. For starters, we are a pretty big family. There are plenty of birthdays and anniversaries to spread out across the year. But we can also make an event of everyday things. Like opening up the woodstove for the first time in the fall.
My mom has a big decorative fan in front of her woodstove through the spring and summer months. Every October, often on the day of our annual apple picking outing, we go back to my parents’ house, and having the Folding of the Fan Ceremony. The last few years we have spontaneously written songs to commemorate the day. (Don’t you wish I was posting a sample?!) We eat apple crisp, and watch the sun set early, and ring in the Short Days with style.
We also have a saying in my family that came, I think, from my great grandmother originally. I know I have heard by grandmother joke about it. We say “well, isn’t that something to look forward to!” We just know that having something to look forward to is… well, fun! It creates an optimistic hopefulness about the future. It brightens the horizon. I know I am definitely wired this way. I need to have things to look forward in the Dark Days.
It doesn’t cost a lot of money to make an event. We have had Balloon Parties. I bought one package of balloons, and we blew them all up, and played with them all evening. A little treat in a heart shape by each plate, with little handmade cards by each family member makes a special Valentine’s Day.
This winter, my mom and I are considering doing a Book Club. Just a simple thing with a get together once before we read a book, and once after. Something to give a little fun to the Dark Days. We are both extroverts, so an outing with friends to look forward to, the fun of shared reading, creates a bright spot.
What about you? Do you need things to look forward to during the winter months?
This post is part of my 31 Days series: Embracing Autumn- So long Seasonal Affective Disorder! (Find complete list of posts here). You can subscribe to receive my posts daily in your email. Just pop over to my homepage, and type in your email in the little box on the right!
Big SHOUT-OUT to the NESTER, for hosting this fun blog challenge again this year! Be sure to check out the other great series being posted by all of my fellow-bloggers here!
I am following your 31 Days of Embracing Autumn. I love everything you have posted…such good ideas and reminders. You refer to the Dark Days quite often and I was just wondering where you live. My husband and I are considering moving to Alaska in a few years, and I’ve wondered if I would survive their Dark Days. Thanks for all your encouraging posts. Please keep it up!
Hi Cindy! I live in Maine, more to the western border. I have wondered how I’d fare in Alaska, too! It’s not as bad as some places, here, but I know the sun sets in my part of Maine a lot earlier for our time zone. I.E. my aunt lived in Iowa for many years, and being more south and I guess more east of her time zone, it would stay light an entire hour longer for her in the winter. They were shocked to find how early it gets dark in Maine, when they moved back here! Thanks for saying hi! 🙂