Part two for how to weather winter gracefully (see part one here). In the previous post, I mentioned some creature comforts which have helped me embrace winter and pass the colder months of the year in cozier circumstances. I feel myself going a little stir-crazy staying inside, however, so I have tried to embrace winter's opportunities and find people who will do so with me.

• Visit friends in warmer climes - there is a distinct advantage to traveling during the winter, which is that you can escape a wintery climate for a more temperate one on a coast or abroad. I have tried to time my trips to visit friends in California and Arizona for the dismal months of January and February—after the post-holiday high has worn off and the days feel longer and darker. An added bonus: flights are often cheaper this time of year, as peak travel times are generally around the major holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) and during the summer.

• Find friends who will venture out with you - Last winter, I spent a lot of time with several friends trying to break out of our respective winter slumps. I took Buckwheat on short hikes in nearby canyons to breathe a bit of fresh air, I went hiking with my Canada crew of Laura and Angie (we were cautious about the timing and locations, as winter avalanches are a real danger in most mountainous areas), and Laura and I tried Nordic skiing. While these examples are all outdoor activities, there are plenty of well-suited indoor activities that are better with a friend—getting hot chocolate (don't worry, M and I did many times at Hatch Family Chocolate), browsing a local bookstore, or stopping by the winter farmers market. 

• Identify winter activities which you would realistically do - Alpine (downhill) skiing and snowboarding are the classic winter pastimes of many Utahns, but I have never done either and having met my quota for broken limbs, do not particularly care to try those riskier winter sports. Snowshoeing, however, is much more my pace, and I discovered that while I was terrible at it (and very sore after falling 200 times), I genuinely enjoyed Nordic (cross-country) skiing. I visited the Salt Lake winter farmers market for the first time last winter and bought squash, greens, and other winter produce. If you prefer to stay indoors, find some projects you have been meaning to work on or books you've been meaning to read.

• Find antidotes to the things you most dislike about winter - This can relate very closely to part one of winter provisions; I hate being cold, so many of my ways to survive winter are aimed at combatting the temperature-induced discomforts. If you need more daylight, try taking a walk outside during a lunch break or during another spare moment. Last winter, I made a point of exercising several times a week at the rec center and included swimming laps about once a week. The smell of chlorine evokes summer and tricks my senses for a brief moment. Typical produce at the grocery store is often lacking the rich flavors of summer farm-fresh produce. I try to cook more squash and eat lots of citrus while it's in season.

Seeing how much this tiny dog loves the snow makes me tolerate it just a bit more than I probably would otherwise :)

This small dog has a tell which is that when she is nervous or afraid, she will play tough and bark her gruff little bark, but she will sit on your feet so you know she is bluffing.

Nordic/cross-country skiing. Utah's air quality is dismal in the winter, but escaping to the mountains even for a few hours is wonderful.

Do you have any winter survival tips which have proved tried and true? (Obviously it is MUCH TOO SOON FOR THIS but I will file them away for future reference) Or any friends in Hawaii I can tag along with you to go see? (kidding. but only a little)

I realize it is AUGUST and no one in their right mind is possibly thinking about winter, but in my age-old attempt to catch up on my back-posting, I have some photos from last winter and some thoughts to accompany them. Without further ado...

I love the earth and all of her seasons, but my feeling toward winter most closely resembles that of the Narnians—perfectly fine when Christmas is coming, but all winter and no Christmas?—No, thank you.

Winter, however, in most of this slice of the northern hemisphere is long and dark and occurs mostly after Christmas. Of necessity, I have tried to reconcile myself to this fact and to find ways to weather, and I daresay even enjoy, winter. The last two winters especially have been a bit of a game-changer for me, and I hope to keep that momentum as the months get colder later this year.

winter provisions which I highly recommend:

• a long, puffy coat - during the darkest winter months, I leave my house for work and arrive home from work in the dark. Scraping one's windshield is much more pleasant with a coat that goes to one's knees and a snaps which button under one's chin or over one's scarf. I finally invested in a classic, quality piece that I love and will wear for the next 15 years at least (unless it wears out sooner through loving overuse).

• an electric blanket - I spent a couple years in an older house in which my back bedroom was a later addition to the original house and not very well-insulated. My electric blanket was a lifesaver. Most models have adjustable heat settings as well as automatic shut-off.

• thick wool socks - no one wants icy feet; from October to April, I basically wear wool socks day-in and night-out.

• an appliance timer - I owe this suggestion to Mallory, who has appliance timers programmed for her living room lamp in the winter—she never comes home to a dark house! I used mine to automatically turn on my space heater when my morning alarms would start sounding; when I lived in the chilly back bedroom (an obvious 10-degree difference from the main room of the house), I could never bear to get out of bed because I would be too cold. This made all the difference in helping me get up for work when it was still dark out. (this is a basic one but you can find them at most grocery stores, Target, and online.)

• vests - the most versatile of layers, in my opinion! You can layer vests with long or short sleeves, with lighter sweaters, even over cardigans. If you work in an office where the door activities let in gusts of wintry air, vests can make all the difference.

• all the tea - I love tea and have tried so many kinds to find my favorites. Lemon ginger and lemon are especially soothing for winter sore throats. I also love HT peppermint (their peppermint is deeply flavorful and I can steep each tea bag at least 2 times with very satisfactory results [I steep most of my tea bags twice but many of them are much, much weaker the second go-round]) and Yogi bedtime tea.

• daylight - This isn't a provision so much as a resource of which one must avail oneself. As I mentioned earlier, I leave and come home in the dark. During the day, I try to expose  myself to as much natural light as possible. I open my blinds at home and at work, and at least once or twice a week, I try to be outside before the sun sets/to watch the sun set.

• balsam-scented candle - Bath & Body Works has for several years carried a balsam fir candle and it is my favorite wintry accompaniment. The scent is perfect leading up to Christmas, but even after Christmas, that woodsy scent brings back the emotional connotation of the early weeks of December.

One thing I love above all about Utah winters is how colorful they are. The east coast winters are bitter cold and dreary grey, while Utah's winter skies are often blue, the sun's warmth still occasionally felt, and the evening light magical more often than not.

Last year I discovered what I hope will continue as winter traditions: the Christkindlmarkt at Pioneer Heritage Park in Salt Lake, Adventsingen, the Lower Lights' Christmas concert (both of their Christmas albums are wonderful), having Buckwheat the cutest dog help to open paper wrapping, Angie's popcorn in holidrizzle flavors (a long-standing tradition), and Ballet West's production of "The Nutcracker."

all the scarves and sweaters are also a necessity!

This photo pretty much says it all (taken in my friend Jenny's kitchen).

 . . . . 

P.S. About a week ago I deleted all the social media apps from my phone. It was an impulsive move, brought on by some other things going on in my life, but now a few days into it, it's been great and I actually think I may stick to it longer than I'd initially intended. (I took a brief hiatus from the hiatus because VANCE JOY and Harper Lee).

Recently, I've been posing this question to friends: what are your favorite Christmas traditions?

Most of mine are fairly simple, and mostly food-related. I love going home at Christmas and making food with my family. My sister gave my dad an ebelskivers pan for Christmas and we made those for the first time--Nutella filled? Yes please.

South Jersey is also home to many people of Italian or Italian-American descent, and my mom usually brings home a box of homemade pizzelles from one of her colleagues at work. YUM. (They are widely available in south Jersey/Philly, but even better when homemade; these make me nostalgic for the area where I grew up.)

Some of my other favorite foods to make at Christmastime are: Gingerbread waffles - this recipe

and Gingerbread spice Dutch baby - Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (recipe online here).

above: Christmas decorations in Madrid's Plaza del Sol (Those chandeliers were amazing!) and below: Christmas decorations in London--love; below that: NuSkin's Christmas lights are always stunning.

M and I went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert and enjoyed the lights on Temple Square and some hot chocolate at Hatch--the best. (I just learned my sister Lauren has NEVER BEEN to see the Christmas lights at Temple Square! What?! How?!)

And of course, I love when friends come to town for the holidays and we can meet up. I hope your Christmas was a happy one.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." –Ether 12:27

After a brief hiatus from photo club we are back at it and are excited for two new members! (I'm looking at you Mackenzie and Patrick! hooray!)

theme: Christmastime

pictured: Christmas at my cousins' house, a beautiful tree in Mullica Hill, Christmas lights that I loved in NYC, and an Anthropologie ornament installation in Philadelphia

theme: a new beginning

pictured: a rural NJ sunrise (how I've missed those!), and a new moon and new year in Provo

This doesn't relate to any themes, but to delving into unknown areas of photography (i.e., trying to photograph the night sky at my grandparents' house)

Easily one of my favorite things at the time and looking at the photos afterwards was Kate who inserted herself into many moments of the reception... such as here, where Christian gave her some cake, too.

And here! This photo - I die every time over Kate just hanging out in Catherine's lap.

It was only appropriate to toast to those two with the traditional Martinelli's sparkling cider for NYE.

I don't have the original handy to juxtapose, but it appeared in the slideshow; this is a recreation of one of our favorite family photos of the 90s which was taken at Catherine's baptism.

[they had a Carvel ice cream cake!]

Becca wrote a beautiful song for Catherine (with which she achieved her goal of making Cat cry. ha)

"It Snowed"

(this is one of my favorites)

Moments after her famous last words, Lauren caught the bouquet.

Runaway bride!! A.k.a. Cat's shoes were locked in the car and so one of Christian's brothers kindly lent his running shoes so she didn't have to exit the reception barefoot.

Just married. And Catherine is looking as lovely as ever in that feather boa.

Congratulations you two!!