It’s winter. My favorite season. I absolutely love when it gets colder and the snow starts to fly. It means cozy days spent indoors under soft blankets with good books. It means that wonderful, distinctive scent of dying leaves and fresh, cold air outside. It means the death of one year in order to make room for the birth of another, full of possibilities and new beginnings.
It means the Holidays! (And who doesn’t like the Holidays?)
Winter, for me, is a season far too short. Am in the minority? Maybe so. 
Perhaps it’s from growing up in Minnesota, where the snow lay five feet thick most of the season and there were always places to strap on a pair of ice skates and whirl and twirl away.
In any case, today I’m thinking about some of my favorite things. Things that make me content, that de-stress me a little. Small, comfortable things made of personal goodness that just make life better.
Here’s my partial list (winter-themed).
1. A hot shower on a cold winter’s day. Sometimes it’s the only thing that will drive the chill from my bones.
2. Strong coffee with plenty of cream and sugar. Mmmm.
3. Waking up in the morning and hearing that distinctive silence of a fresh snowfall. Snowfall actually does have a “sound”.
4. The scent (frozen blood and sweat) of an arena and the crunch of freshly Zambonied ice under my blades.
5. A cup of tea in the afternoon (Earl Gray) and another at night (Sleepytime) with lemon and milk.
6. Marshmallows!
7. Curling up on the couch with a good book and hearing the cold wind whip around the side of the house and making the wind chimes clang on the porch.
8. Watching my dog romp in the snow.
9. The scent of baking cookies in the afternoon.
10. The snap and pop of (real) logs in a fireplace.
What are some of your favorite things? Doesn’t have to be winter related. Tell me and you might win a cosmetic bag filled with bath (another of my favorite things) goodies!
December 11th, 2007 at 8:02 am
Sure glad it doesn’t have to be winter related! I’m definately a summer/fall person.
My favorite things are
1. a cabin in the mountains (but still close enough to get take out preferably Chick-Fil-A). The cabin should at least have internet access.
2. Sitting outside when the temperature is just right reading a book under a gorgeous sunset.
3. Hearing my kids laugh. It sure beats them arguing with each other.
4. Getting to “chat” with my favorite authors.
5. Grudginly(sp?) waking up to a fresh snowfall once during the winter. But once someone makes tracks in it, it had better start melting!!!
I don’t know if you saw the weather report this morning Anya, but we could get our first snowfall this weekend!
(this is Laura that met you at Deb’s store).
December 11th, 2007 at 9:14 am
1. a good book
2. cappaccino
3. good comfort food
4. luxurious bath products and lotions
5. girls day out with best friends
6. watching movies while cuddling with husband
December 11th, 2007 at 9:15 am
some of my favorite things are, hot chocolate, snuggling with the hubby, snow how pretty it looks makes everything sparkle, my kids playing in the snow, they look like snow people when they are done.. and lots more time to read!
December 11th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Anya,
I love Fall, but Winter isn’t too bad. Of course, I’m a bit of a winter whimp. I grew up in Colorado and back in the 60’s the winters were considerably rougher than they have been recently (although this last winter in Colorado was pretty crazy.) In my part of Arizona we do have fall and winter and it can get quite cold, though we don’t generally get much snow if any during the winter…more likely to get rain. But we’re a high desert, so not much of that either.
But Fall is something I can’t do without. I LOVE, LOVE it.
You’ve named so many neat things. Here’s a few of mine:
1. Oh, yeah. That coffee with cream. YES. A must in the morning.
2. Snuggling with the hubby on the couch.
3. Reading a great book while sitting in my leather chair. YES!
4. Chatting with a good friend on the phone.
5. Writing and finding I’m in flow and the work is just rippling along and feeling “right.”
Denise A. Agnew
December 11th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Some of my favorite things:
1) hot chocolate with hubby in the living room upon wakening
2) fuzzy socks or slippers
3) painted finger and toe nails
4) a beautiful sunset to view while we are driving
5) my dog next to me in the recliner while watching TV
December 11th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Fall is my favorite season, but also love winter. A few of my favorite things are: hot chocolate with marshmallows, watching my son & hubby playing in the snow, curling up with a good book.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I love getting into bed after laundering the sheets, it’s even more amazing when the sheets are toasty because they just came from the dryer. A cold Coke in the summer is another favorite.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
I love drinking flavored coffe on a cold day and an iced cappachinno on a hot day. Love to find a new author that keeps me interested in their newest release. I also enjoy watching a good movie on DVD while cozying up on my couch at night.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
In Winter I love to curl up with a good book and my warm afghan on the couch, have hot chocolate, relax in front of the fireplace and feel the warmth from the logs as they burn, or just sit inside where it is warm and watch the snow fall and leave a layer of clean white covering everything. In Summer I love to go for long walks to see all the beautiful flowers and gardens and in Fall to see all the colorful leaves on the trees.
December 11th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Christmas I love everything Christmas related.
I love all the baking I end up doing, that I never seem to have time for any other time of the year.
I love getting my house all decked out for Christmas and trying to outdo the year before.
I love the Christmas cartoons and movies that come on.
I love watching my daughter get more and more excited every morning when she eats one of the chocolate out of her advent calender.
I love finding the perfect gift for someone and also finding a few perfect things for myself along the way.
Family, I love that no matter how far we have all scattered we always manage to get together at Christmas.
And cooking I love cooking for everyone and baking sinful desserts and insisting that everyone must try some.
The indulgence is I think my favorite thing. The fact that no matter how we school ourselves to avoid this or that and not spend money on things we don’t need all year long. We all get a to take a break from our self imposed rules at Christmas and indulge in all that stuff we avoid all year.
December 11th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
I love winter too! It is such a fun season.
Some of my favorite things:
1Drinking hot cocoa.
2)Baking cookies to enjoy with the cocoa.
3)Snuggling with hubby in front of my inlaws fireplace when we visit them.
4)Culing up with a good book in my recliner in comfy pj’s and soft comfy socks on my feet.
5)Cuddling with hubby under the heating blanket in bed.
6)Cuddling with the kids and reading them stories or watching a holiday movie with them.
December 11th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
1. A good book
2. A roaring fire
3. Hot coffee with cream and sugar
4. Cookies to go with the coffee
5. A comfy couch by said fire
6. A warm afghan
December 11th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
1.When my daughter and her fiance visit from out of town.
2.Playing games with my family.
3.My 7 cats.
4.Most definitely a good book.
5.Freshly ground black coffee.
6.Cabernet savignon.
7.Playing Sock & Shoe (cards) with my friends.
8.Cyberfriends and blogging.
9.Playing games on the computer (I’m so addicted)
10.Buying new books.
December 11th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
1. Hot chocolate with a little espresso and lots of whipped cream.
2. Fresh baked cinnamon rolls or bread.
3. Hot showers on cold days.
4. The comfort & love found cuddling a small child or a cat.
5. Reading a good book.
December 11th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
I have lots of favorite things, but you said one best:
The scent (frozen blood and sweat) of an arena and the crunch of freshly Zambonied ice under my blades
Although… is there a toe pick on those blades? My blades are pick-free and very fast. And scarred by pucks, too.
December 11th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Family
hot baths on a cold day
a great book
fresh baked cookies
meeting old friends and makeing new ones
finding a new author
December 11th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
1.Listening to a really good Blues CD
2.Getting to spend a whole day reading with no distractions
3. Baking Christmas cookies
4. Starbucks
5. Getting dachshund kisses from my fur babies
6. Spending quality time with my teen-aged sons
December 11th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
1. Having the house to myself.
2. a long hot bath reading a book
3. going to the movies with my kids
4. cleaning the house with the music blaring.
5. reading emails from my friends.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
I love the seasons - each one has something special about it. But, I also love the smell of home made chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. And coming home with a stack of books, with free time to curl up on the couch with a blanket to read away the rest of the day. And, one that’s currently very near and dear with to my heart… being done with finals.
December 12th, 2007 at 12:12 am
1.CHOCOLATE
2.a good book
3.my cats
4.my playful crazy Pom mix dog
5.Fall colors
6.going out with girlfriends
7.snow,but it has to leave after a few days,lol.
December 12th, 2007 at 6:50 am
well im a spring person..i adore the first days when i air out the house from a long stale winter.. the smell of my trees flowering.. lilacs, peonys.. my tulips coming up…smelling that wonderful smell of crawling into bed when i have dried my sheets out on the line..
right now i adore curling up with hot cocoa, and a hot book on the couch with a cozy blanket.. i love to burn candles this time of year.. i love the sugar cookies and cinammon smells..
so many yummy things to list..lol
December 12th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Fall is definitely at the top of my list! Here are my top ten straight from the home office out in the country in the Bluegrass state!
10. The warmth of the fall colors blended with the cool, fragrant breeze.
9. The smell of burning leaves in the burn barrel. It takes me back to my childhood in PA. To rake leaves and jump in them was pure delight. Then to gather around the fire and watch them burn was the grande finale.
8. Watching my boys enjoy the same tradition as stated in number 9.
7. Attending school football games and watching the excitement of the players and their proud parents.
6. The commencement of naps on Sunday afternoons (though it needs to be cloudy and cool outside).
5. Dressing “moofy style.” This is our family’s term for soft, comfy, warm and not necessarily stylish!
4. Burning candles in the early evening as the sun sets. There’s just something about the glow of the candle.
3. Watching my children fulfill their dreams of being a star quarterback as they play in the backyard as the golden sun sets behind them.
2. The anticipation of the holiday season and the unmade memories that lie ahead!
1. The dramatic increase in the “snuggle factor.” The colder the temperature, the higher the snuggle factor.
December 12th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
a good book and the time to read uninterrupted
the quiet of the house when everyone else is asleep
definitely the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking
my hubby cooking another one of his fabulous dinner
that first hug by my boys when they return home for a visit
that first sip of lemon tea on a cold day
December 12th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
A hot mug of herbal tea while I read a novel.
My Maltese sitting beside me and relaxing.
A homecooked traditional meal.
An unexpected but lovely e-mail from my sister
Attending a wonderful concert
Lots of sunshine and blue skies
A energetic walk in the sunshine.
December 12th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Wow!! I’m so happy I asked this question! What a wonderful bunch of responses.
Susan — Mine have picks. But, you know, you have to get up a lot of speed to use those toe picks, right? It’s the only thing that gives you lift in a jump. Wanna race sometime?
Hi Lorri!! *waving*
December 12th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Here are some of mine (in no particular order)
Pajamas fresh from the dryer
The comforter my mom made me
The turquoise dress my mom made me (a clever mom!)
Hot cocoa
Manicotti formaggio
Finally getting a tricky dance step down (I belly dance!)
Mary Poppins!
Watching the cute doggies in their winter sweaters
Snow people on people’s lawns
Seeing the little walking snowsuits that (I think!) have kids inside them
Fun topic!