December, the beginning of winter; what does it mean to live with the seasons at this time of the year? We’ve done most (but not all!) of our fall preparations, getting the bees, chickens, orchard, rainwater tanks, and the rest of the yard ready for the snow and cold. We’ve already put up our Christmas tree, as we’ve done since COVID, starting the holiday season early once Remembrance day and Gibson’s birthday season are over. Aside from looking ahead to Christmas, we’re also watching the nights get longer as we approach the winter solstice. We’re had a tradition of celebrating the longest night of the year with a bonfire and taking tin can lanterns out into the woods for a walk. We’ll make these lanterns on the solstice by hammering patterns into cans with nails to upcycle them into treasured heirlooms. This is one of the traditions to celebrate the cycle of the seasons that I’m handing down to our kids.

With the precipitation at this time of the year often being either packy snow or slush, when we’re not out playing in the yard we retreat inside. On my days to look after the boys after school, we’ll go down to the cabin, playing on the frozen pond, making hot chocolate on the mini wood stove, playing games as we wait for the water to boil. Now that we have enough snow, we can starting pulling the kids on the sled for the two minute walk up the street to my sister’s house for supper, where the boys play as if they haven’t seen each other all afternoon. Once home, we turn on the pellet stove, burning off the dust of disuse, make some tea from the dried summer herbs, and quietly shell beans or fold laundry once the kids have gone to bed. Although I do love being outside over the winter, I appreciate its call to be cozy and warm inside. I shed obligations, read and journal, and when I feel inspired, start making plans for the spring.