I Need to Learn to Embrace Winter Slowness

Years ago, several years after I moved to Michigan, I finally learned to embrace winter and go out and enjoy some of the cold and snow. It really helps that I love taking photos of the ice. I find the quietness - definitely less people around in winter - very calm and peaceful. However, after being stuck in the house most of this week I know that I also need to learn to embrace the slower days of winter. I'm just not quite sure how to do that. I think I've said it before, but I feel 'off' if I don't walk outside. It's hard to do in winter, especially when it's way below freezing and the snow is deep. I can't even walk around my neighbourhood as there aren't pavements everywhere (and not all of the ones we have are kept shovelled!) and the road is icy. 

I'm just not sure how to achieve that. 

I don't know if it's just me, but I feel as though I should be productive during the day hours. I don't feel as though I can read or craft or do 'me' things. I feel as though I should be 'doing' something house-y or money-making. I have been doing my Ebay and Etsy thing, but not consistently - though I do want to treat it more like a business rather than just something extra I do (at least until I decide if I want to stop doing it!). I also feel as though I should be out there taking photos all the time. Perhaps that's just me spending too much time on social media!

How do you embrace winter slowness? 

It's something I still have time to work on. Our temperatures don't look as though they will be above freezing anytime soon. 

Things I did accomplish this week: -

• On Monday was the Kalamazoo City Commission meeting regarding the rezoning of the land adjacent to Asylum Lake. I attended the meeting for as long as I could, came home and watched the rest on YouTube and posted updates to our social media (that's my job on the board). The rezoning request was DENIED!!!
• I attended the Zoom meeting our group ALPA (Asylum Lake Preservation Association) had to decide what the next steps should be. 
• I attended a Zoom Small Group Meeting with my online photography club. Yikes! I am not good around new people. I spluttered and felt really nervous, but I did manage to introduce myself. I am hoping that the more I participate the easier it will become. 
• I did clean up my craft room a bit. It's looking a LITTLE more presentable! 

I also chatted with middle son today, had a video chat with daughter and Baby A and messaged with my sister. At the start of the day I was feeling a little isolated, by the end I had enough of being social. 

I did manage a walk yesterday. It was snowy and cold and walking through knee-deep (in some places) snow is really slow going, but it did feel good to get out. Today I stayed in. It had snowed overnight - just a couple of inches - but it was another really cold morning!

Honestly, it's not going to be a lot warmer over the weekend, but it's supposed to be sunny, and husband says he will drive me somewhere both days so I'm going to make the most of it. I'll bundle up, be cold and take the rest of the day to warm up. Then hopefully, on Monday, I'll be ready to try to embrace the slowness of winter !