Winter and Poetry

Winter has arrived early on the lake. After an extended summer, we had approximately 4 days of autumn and the weather quickly snapped into winter. With the temperature threatening to drop below freezing this past week, I rushed around at the last minute – in typical I'm-not-ready-for-winter fashion – covering my beautiful container garden on the deck. Apparently, I've purchased more plants this year than I had last year (or maybe they are accumulating - that sounds good, let's go with that) and I ran out of garden plastic to cover them in. I got out some old bed sheets to cover Mr. Elephant (my elephant ear, tropical, jungle plant) and some pillowcases to tuck in some of the smaller potted plants. We're fortunate here that freezing temps don't typically last long and protecting the plants this way, usually helps them survive through the worst of the low temps.

The quick-incoming cold snap reminded me of our first few days living on the lake when it SNOWED! Yes, you heard that right, it snowed on the southern Oregon coast, the banana belt of the pacific northwest. We really had no idea that could happen. After speaking to locals, we learned that it is a rare occurrence that happens every 5-10 years and is typically only a dusting that doesn't last long. This was a bit more than a dusting but far less than our mid-west and east coast friends are used to! The sweetie-person and I went out frolicking in the snow, playing and throwing snowballs at each other. It's funny how freezing temps and snow bring out the child in each of us. That's him in the pedal boat in the pic above, out on the lake, in the quiet, snowy, magical, wonderland.

Now that we've been here almost 6 years, I'm wondering if we're due for a bit of snow again on the lake? I must admit that while I don't particularly appreciate going out and doing anything in the snow (other than the occasional snowball fight), it is quite magical to experience every now and then. And don't even get me started on how beautiful it is. I watch TikToks all winter long of snowy locales, happily enjoying the snowy scenes from afar.

With the cold weather, comes more indoor activities like reading. Lately, I've been reading Glennon Doyle's "Untamed" and ohmygoodness it is GREAT! It's one that I will be reading again and again. She talks about the idea that women have been tamed over the years and that if we break free of these tamed, caged animals that we've become, our lives could be big and important, and powerful. We would be unstoppable! I'm almost at the end of the book and I can feel myself drawing out the last words so that they last longer and I don't have to reach the end just yet. Yesterday, I read the part where she shared a poem that she wrote about her and Abby (her wife) that I must share with you. It spoke to me somewhere deep in my soul, it made my heart ache for those I love, and brought tears to my eyes...

Two years ago

You were pearl white

I was midnight blue.

We became sky blue.

Pearl gone, midnight gone

All sky blue.

But now, sometimes, you go.

To a meeting, to a friend, an opinion, a show.

When you go, I’m left with me again.

You take your pearl. I feel my midnight again.

This is right, I know.

Midnight is how I make things.

I just thought, for a minute, that I was gone.

I miss being gone.

The end of the Beginning is existing again.

We will be beautiful and strong side by side.

But between you and me (between pearl and midnight)

I liked sky blue better.

This is the sort of love I hope for all women to experience. And I think we find this love in so many more places than romantic love. We find it in our friendships, we find this love with our family members, we find this love in nature, and I hope with all hope that we find this love within ourselves. I highly recommend Glennon's book. It's filled with so many a-ha moments and golden nuggets of wisdom that it's a must-read for every woman who hasn't already achieved an untamed state of living.

The photos above are from the year we moved to our little cabin on the lake – 4 days after we moved in, to be exact. I would love to know, are you dreaming of a snowy winter? Or are you longing for somewhere warm already? What part of the country are you in? Let me know down below in the comments! I'd love to chat with you.