TToT – House-Warming
I am losing my patience with winter.
I know, I know. Everyone is tired of it and everyone is cold and nobody wants to hear anyone else complain anymore. I agree. We are house-bound today due to both weather and illness, so I turned to my good friend Thoreau for some help.
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Because if I watch one more Disney, Jr. show with my Daughter I’m going to lose my mind.
I grabbed my love-worn copy of Walden, a woolen shawl, and a hot cup of coffee. Knowing he will always tend toward an admiration of the beauty of nature, I prepared to see what Henry David had to say about winter. A lot – four chapters, to be precise. In my copy, that’s about 60 pages. I didn’t care to read 60 pages of it when the last 60 days have been more than enough. A couple of things caught my attention…
First, this:
“At length the winter set in in good earnest…and the wind began to howl around the house as if it had not permission to do so till then.” That’s about how it happened around here this year. One day it was warm and we spent time at the playground, squinting in the afternoon sun. And the next? It was winter. Sudden, cold, and earnest winter.
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I started with the chapter titled “House-Warming.” It was the first of the four and I zeroed in because our house is either too hot or too cold – a beast when it comes to temperature moderation. The ‘open design’ is something to take into consideration when designing plans for any future home we might have.
As winter deepened, he said, “I withdrew yet farther into my shell, and endeavored to keep a bright fire both within my house and within my breast.” I definitely tend toward withdrawing into my shell – not only in wintertime, but all times. I sometimes have to remind myself to focus outward.
Toward the end of that chapter, Thoreau says, “every man looks at his wood-pile with a kind of affection.” He goes on to describe it as a reminder of the good feeling of hard and pleasing work.
From the woodpile, he turns to a discussion of Fire and how it warmed and cheered his home in winter, much like a cheerful housekeeper. He tells of moles nesting in his cellar, nibbling on stored potatoes, making a snug bed there. Because, he says, “even the wildest animals love comfort and warmth as well as man…”
“The animal merely makes a bed, which he warms with his body in a sheltered place; but man, having discovered fire, boxes up some air in a spacious apartment, and warms that, instead of robbing himself, makes that his bed, in which he can move about divested of more cumbrous clothing, maintain a kind of summer in the midst of winter, and by means of windows even admit the light and with a lamp lengthen out the day. Thus he goes a step or two beyond instinct, and saves a little time for the fine arts.”
So his point? Hibernation is an option – and a tempting one some days, especially these dark, cold days of February. We can choose to pull the covers over our heads and hibernate until spring comes or we can find that bit of summer light within us and choose to live well through winter, both literally and figuratively.
With these warming thoughts in mind, I turn to my list of thankfuls for the week…
Without a doubt, this is on many other lists this week, but there is no way I can leave out the wonder that is 1000 Voices Speak for Compassion.
Have you Googled this? Searched the hashtag #1000Speak on Twitter? Many of you reading right now are already part of this and have shared the excitement for the last few days. But if you aren’t? Give it a search…prepare to be amazed at what we’ve accomplished together. And we are far from finished… If you haven’t read Yvonne’s 1000Speak Thank You post yet, do it right now. It covers everything else I want to say about the experience and much much more.
On top of that, I am thankful for the many connections and friendships that have continued to flourish through this endeavor. Too much and too many to begin to touch here, but it’s huge.
While I may be quite tired of winter’s icy grasp, I am thankful for the words of Thoreau that I found today. They help. I am thankful for a warm home, mugs of hot coffee or tea anytime I please, a warm bed, a pile of extra blankets, fuzzy pajamas, cozy slippers, central heating that while imperfect still gets the job done. I am thankful for the love of family and friends.
I am thankful that Zilla is feeling a bit better today (strep – ugh) and thankful to all of you who asked about her and sent well wishes. We are still considered contagious until another full day on antibiotics and I am wiping things down like a fiend. I suppose that means I am thankful to my Mom for being a clean freak and passing on those cleaning skills, no matter how unwilling I may be to exercise them on a regular basis.
I’m going to check on my child, pour another cup of coffee, and get to reading some more of these wonderful posts. To find the list, go to my 1000Speak post and click the blue button at the end to access the link-up. You’ll be glad you did.
Your turn: What wintertime thankfulness can you dig from under the snow and ice this week? What’s the best way you know to beat the winter doldrums? You know the drill…share ’em or link ’em! And stay warm, inside and out!
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I still love winter just done this year. Do think winter goes by the name Ernest? FRIST
Yes, we can call winter Ernest. 😀
And you are definitely FRIST, Earnest. 😀
I read On Walden Pond in high school. Given the context, you can probably guess why his intentionally choosing to be an outsider turned me off during the first few pages. I’ve always meant to go back and either reread Walden or explore some of his other works. I might be in a better place in life to hear his message now.
I think that’s exactly why I relate to him so well! I think many people come to appreciate Thoreau better as adults. I don’t know – I just think it takes a certain amount of life experience to really get where he’s coming from. If you give him another whirl, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I can’t complain too much about this winter. While we have had some bitter cold, this is our first real snow. We were due.
It is astounding how well 1000 voices went. Without a hitch! So many good posts to read. I’ve only read about 1% of them.
Glad Zilla is feeling better.
To put it in perspective, we haven’t had it nearly as bad as other places have – New England so much worse than here! But I am really kind of over the long, dark days and the bitter cold. It’s painful for me sometimes with the RA.
I haven’t even begun to make a dent in the 1000Speak posts! What I have read has been really wonderful, though. I’m just overwhelmed at how it developed.
Zilla is feeling better – we’re on our way!
I swear all these winter posts are making me feel chilly. I really feel for you all. Especially for the ones with small children because I know the cabin fever is insane right now. I’m probably the only one on the planet that hasn’t read any 1000Speak posts. I hope I can get to them soon.
Spring has to come eventually! But it looks like we have another pretty cold week ahead of us. The cabin fever is definitely present. The definite plus for us is that all three people in this house are good at by-myself time so if we need to separate, we can do it pretty well.
I have not read very many 1000Speak posts at all – between volunteer duty on Friday and then strep throat when I picked up Kidzilla after school, my reading plans were definitely altered! They’ll be there and I’ll just keep picking through! They are all so wonderful.
I’ve never read Thoreau, but I have been to Walden’s Pond. I made sure to visit it when I visited Boston a billion years ago (or 22).
Your pictures made me cold.
I live in a nearly 90 year old house. Temperature moderation is a joke here, too.
Hope Zilla is better. Will she be able to go to school Monday?
I visited Walden Pond many years ago on a trip to Boston and Concord for an uncle’s wedding. I was much too young to really appreciate it at the time, but I remember thinking it was pretty cool at least. I have not been back since. I suspect if I went now, after having fallen so terribly in love with his work, it would be overwhelming.
My pictures make me cold, too. And the heat regulation in here? Pffft.
Doctor says she won’t be contagious and could go on Monday if she’s fever free for 24 hours and feeling up to it. We’ll see how things develop tomorrow. Still a bit of fever and still complaining of the painful throat. I don’t want to rush it and have her backslide.
My winter seems like something from another planet entirely compared to yours, so I’m no help with your questions. I do hope that Zilla recovers soon; strep throat is no fun! I went through a time where I seemed to come down with it every year without fail, so she definitely has my sympathy!
I know – it’s such different weather!
Zilla’s on the road to recovery. I think we’ll be staying in again tomorrow since she’s still potentially contagious for another 24 hours. Her poor throat is so sore. 🙁
I found a great quote from Thoreau this week, in fact. “One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.” Hibernation is an excellent option as far as I am concerned. Migration works, too. Hope Zilla feels better and life gets warmer.
Yes, interesting trivia: That line actually comes from the paragraph I have block quoted here! Sometimes that phrase gets pulled out and used alone that way.
Zilla is improving little by little. We’re getting a taste of 40 degrees here today then back to super cold for the rest of the week.
Enjoy your migration! Soon right?
I have been pretty much doing the hibernation thing so far this winter, but that will change soon I suspect since I plan on “graduating” from a walker to a cane this week and I’ll be doing PT 3 times a week out of the house now. Daylight savings time is in 2 weeks and it’s getting dark a little later each day, which is encouraging. I LOVE Thoreau, and I’ve never been to Walden Pond but I imagine it to be an emotional experience. I’d definitely like to go one day. I hope Zilla makes a full recovery this week – strep sucks! I’ve loved being part of 1000 Speaks even though I don’t think I’ll ever make it through each and every post.
Well, and with good reason, Jen! You’re rebuilding! I saw your discussion somewhere about how the metal is actually cold inside your body? That’s definitely weird. You’re moving along so well and hooray for you! Is DST in two weeks??? That’s a huge thing.
I love Thoreau – anybody who has read here for very long knows that. I don’t think any writing has touched me quite the way his has. Emerson takes a very close second. But Thoreau is the one I love best. I would like to go back to Walden Pond now as an adult who has read and read and read his work.
Zilla is continuing to improve. She has her Dad’s immune system, not mine, which is a very good thing.
I can’t imagine I’ll get through all of the 1000Speak posts – I just keep reading here and there. The whole thing has been truly awesome, in the truest sense of the word.
Hi Jen,
I have vague recollections that you have had surgery…perhaps a hip replacement. Just wanted to wish you all the best on your road to recovery. I broke my foot in December, a comparatively minor nuisance really but the physio has given me small yet repetitive exercises and they are helping. I’ve had a few falls and was starting to think about using a scooter at times but the physio has spurred me on. I wish you the same. xx Rowena
Well done you. I’ve no idea whose the quote is, but the one I liked from *somewhere* is “Winter is the spring of creativity”. That made a lot of sense to me.
But I looked at your snowy pictures and shuddered and thanked my stars for the Gulf stream and a temperate(r) climate.
HUGE kudos to you for making it to Ten. Hope Zilla continues to improve, and that you find ways to keep warm. 🙂
I don’t know that one – I’ll have to go find out now, though. 🙂
Yeah, it’s pretty snowy. I was looking at your garden pic yesterday thinking “how is it possible that they are so much nicer there??” Yeah…Gulf stream.
You know, I rarely number mine and I rarely count them, but I think I always manage ten I think that’s a good thing. Today we’re hitting a whopping 40 degrees (which is actually NORMAL for this time of year) and then plummeting back to the low temps again for the week. Such a nasty teaser. Zilla continues to improve. Not sure about school yet tomorrow – guess we’ll see how it goes.
Trust you to find some joy in Thoreau! Not that I think that is odd or bad. I enjoyed your musings, and this one in particular: the good feeling of hard and pleasing work. I so get that, and I know it was instilled in from my earliest years. I used to think everyone felt that. But I really think Brian gets less of a kick out of that feeling. It’s interesting how you learn about people through marriage. 🙂
This went in a very different direction. Yes, I would agree on that point that you learn much through marriage. Probably a good thing or no one would ever actually get married. I guarantee the Hub gets less pleasure out of hard and pleasing work than I do. He’s happier with mental work, no doubt. 🙂 I guess that makes for good balance.
You definitely know I will turn to Thoreau always. I still really want to read you Dad’s paper. Someday I will lay hands on it.
You know those bug bombs you set off and leave the house. I want one of those but with lysol instead. Just shake that baby up and toss it in to the kid’s room.
So glad you found comfort in Henry David.
Wouldn’t that be amazing? I think we should invent it.
I love him. That’s all.
While you’re at it, if you find a tin of cleaning fairies please let me know!! xx Rowena
Photo #3 triggers the most (in terms of reflectory thoughts on winter)… the idea that, as little as 150 years ago everyone lived outdoors well, sort of, in terms of comparison of the standards we expect in comfort.
Don’t know if I look at my woodpile with anything like affection, but being warm is way up there on my list of things that make life in this part of the country bearable.
Yes, I was thinking quite a bit about that, actually. Thoreau, for example, during his time at Walden Pond lived in quite a small cabin – certainly nothing as warm and solid as our homes today. A different time, a different way of living. And a very different perspective.
Being warm is definitely a blessing.
Pictures 3 & 4. Yup. Really like them. A lot:)
You know, I have an extremely old copy of Walden. From high school years. One day, if we ever get settled again and I unpack all my boxes of books, I’m going to put that one on the bedside. And read it again. Thanks Lisa for quoting from Thoreau. He had an impact on me many years ago and I think it’s high time I re-visit Mr. T. my own self:)
I second and third and fourth and….hope that Zilla is feeling much better and the strep leaves very, very soon!
You know, I haven’t googled or searched twitter for the #1000Speak. But I will!
Aren’t those pics gorgeous? Hub took them when he went hiking at the bird sanctuary last winter. Too cold for my bones! But beautiful. He said it was amazing.
I have had this particular Thoreau since college (the second time around) and I think it’s almost never in its spot on the bookshelf because it’s always out for one reason or another.
Zilla is on the mend – progress is great, but not quite enough to go to school tomorrow.
After reading your posts and quotes from Thoreau, you can understand why man is dog’s best friend. They love their creature comforts. Nothing like having someone else to build a fire to keep you warm or in the case of our dog, get his thick woolly coat shorn off for a hot Australian summer.
It’s a funny time of year in the blogosphere with some complaining about the cold while others complain about the heat and all of us hibernating to some degree. Our sun is just as hot as your snow is cold…well, may be not quite that extreme but it does get hot here.
My dog is thankful we shaved his coat off last week. He was starting to look old and slow and now he’s zipping around looking 50 kilos lighter. Happy days! xx Rowena
That much is true – we are all experiencing different seasons. I’m particularly bothered by winter because it is hard on my arthritis.
Sounds like the dog is happy!
Ouch, Strep! I hope she gets rid of that fast! Hugs to all, and I’m so glad to be part of 1000 voices with you!
Much better today!
Glad to be part of it with you, too, Michelle – thanks for all of your work scooping links for the mag!
Oh poor Zilla!!! I hope she is feeling better by now!! I love how you referred to Thoreau… what a refreshing take on this beast of winter!! Thanks for the ‘lift’, it was perfect to read today…
She went back to school today – they had an early dismissal so it was a nice way to ease in. She was singing last night in the tub so I think that’s a very good sign. 🙂
I love the thought of Thoreau. Want to embrace his philosophy. But being totally chill about moles munching my potato supply in the basement. Color me NOT enlightened.
Yeah he’s definitely less bothered by those moles than I would be. But overall, when it comes to his philosophies about living life deliberately and with purpose and about working toward self-betterment and achieving goals, I’m all in. I just love him.
I absolutely love those photos – breathtaking! There’s something about the snow that I love. You know that fresh, white, pure coverage that just brightens up a whole view. But I hate winter! I hate the fact it takes us an extra 20 minutes to get out the house, looking for hats, scarves and gloves – eugh! I hate all these damn bugs that go round. My whole family have been housebound all week too because of a severe case of the flu. Hope your daughter is okay now. I have soo much to catch up on. I missed all #1000speak related posts this week so I’m glad you mentioned them here. Thank you!
They are beautiful photos – my Husband took them.
My Grandmother loved snow and I agree it does look beautiful when it covers everything. But…I do not enjoy the cold and the slop that remains after the beauty of the snowfall starts to fade. And the coats and hats and salt on the cars and shoes…I do find it hard to really love that season.
Kidzilla is much better, thank you. I don’t think I’ll ever manage to read ALL the 1000Speak posts, but the ones I have read have been great.