Beating the Arctic Freeze

Lake Pleasant, ADK January 18 2014

We have been brutally attacked by this cold. The deep freeze came unexpected, overstayed its welcome and made me reconsider my whole winter wardrobe. There is one jacket – my yellow dawn skiing jacket – that was on its way to Goodwill, but was saved by single digit temperatures. After a few days in its cozy soft yellow comfort, I could not remember why in the world I wanted to get rid of such a beauty.

The arctic weather came after long holidays, so between felling heavy and drained, cold and unmotivated, I started figuring out how to beat this cold. I felt it was closing me in, it was making me hibernate, it was draining my energy like the 1926 windows on my house. I am no stranger to cold and had to re-adjust before when I went to college in Sarajevo, Bosnia, a place where cold is coupled with heavy smog and beautiful mountains around. Still these recent multiple days of single digits challenged me and made me come up with these BEAT THE COLD TIPS:

1. Real gear and clothing! Yes, invest in really warm gloves, pants, and really warm winter boots. Do not forget CuddlDuds! The best clothing items I never knew about. Thanks Karen for enlightening me.

2. Wear colorful and pretty clothes. Even better buy a new colorful coat. Buy warm AND really pretty boots. Yes, they are really expensive, but you know what – we’ll wear them for ever.

3. Just open the door and walk through it. Then close the door behind. There. Then walk some more.

Giant Mt, ADK January 19, 2014

4. Go out in the evening – to a concert, to a library, to see a friend, to work out, to yoga.

5. Snow shoe or XC ski. I have never been cold while XC skiing and I skied at zero F.

6. Buy or grow live flowers. Here are daffodils I have right in front of me as I write this.

7. Take it personally! Make it your own crusade to fight back and resist – what else can we do?? It is January only, we can not be waiving white flags (yet).

8. Practice yoga regularly – make it sometimes physical, make it sometimes resting, do not give in to the urge to cuddle up with a good book under a couple of blankets.

9. And lastly, do cuddle up with a good book occasionally, close to the window and soak in quietness of snow.

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

Dust of Snow. Robert Frost.

2 Comments (+add yours?)

josna
Feb 03, 2014 @ 08:13:40

I needed this post! Thank you so much for writing it. I realize that I have been succumbing to the cold and need to face it, well protected, of course. Today I will dress warmly–and as colorfully as I can–and make sure to step out of that door. And yes, going out at night is important. Another thing I must resolve to do, rather than to merely hibernate the winter away.

- Marijana
  Feb 03, 2014 @ 10:53:31
  
  Thanks Josna. Yes, living in NE makes us tough! The idea of a nice coat came from the farmers market. I usually go on Saturdays and stop for coffee at the local Java place. A young talk girl walks in with a boy, they are all smiles despite 15F. She has this funky 70s coat ( a Janis Joplin style coat) and she is is wearing it with joy. That made me think about clothing and colors and having a lovely coat that you can not wait to wear vs a long black puffy down thing which perfectly fits a desolate cemetery.. 🙂