December 1: Winter wanderings

We had a rule growing up that we couldn’t decorate for Christmas until December first. Each year, I’d convince my mom to go into the attic with me on the first and bring down the big box of stockings, nativity scene, and homemade candy advent calendar: a red felt strip with white yarn to tie a piece of Hershey kisses to. Days passed so slowly, seemingly never getting closer to the day to open presents and find what was in our stockings.

I instituted the same rule, lest my Christmas-loving family blast Alvin and the chipmunks in early November. In preparation, the girls got their chocolate advent calendars at the local market and have been counting down until today. As promised, I awoke to Mariah Carey belting out her Christmas desires, followed by the younger daughter waking up over an hour earlier than a normal weekend day in excitement, gobbling up the quiet time I intended on soaking in.

In an effort to not accumulate junk and try to keep the emphasis more about seasonal cycles, I can tend toward scroogy behavior-something I’d like to change. I simultaneously want time to slow, I want to notice the season more, and I want something to look forward to each day. So, here we are. Each day this month I’ll write a little blurb about running, skiing, the landscape, a snack, or something else I notice that strikes my fancy and invite you to do the same. As one of my first major influences so aptly said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”