Ode To Winter: In List Form

I shared some pictures from a winter walk and promised you a few more. Today I'm here to make good on my promise to share the list of winter things I've been smitten with. For those of you who don't know me, I am always cold. I wear sweatshirts almost all summer long and not just because of air conditioning that's working overtime. If there is a sunny spot, I will be in it. I love the beach and am always ready for a trip to the ocean or the lake or any place where I can stretch out and enjoy summer in all her glory. I tell you all of this so that you can know that winter had to do some major stunting to change my mind.

On to that list...

1. The crunch of snow, that's still white even though it's been hanging around for months now.

2. The strange silence after another fresh snowfall.

3. The way clearing snow brings everyone together.

4. Pale blue skies after weeks and weeks of gray.

5. Early nights sending people home to cozy up with their families.

6. Fresh, cold air in my lungs. So cold it stings my cheeks, but not so cold that it burrows its way past the layers of clothes I'm wearing.

7. Feeling the sun on your skin when you were so sure you'd have to wait months for that to happen again.

8. Hovering over the stove with pots and pans of food and something special in the oven, knowing that people will dig in just as soon as it's done.

9. The way the noises of the birds and the squirrels and whatever else is out there catch you by surprise because they're less and less common.

10. The way the park can be totally deserted one day and overflowing with people the next. Same place. Same people. Just different days. I also wonder what it is that they're up to when the cold keeps them home.

When winter was just getting underway, I snapped a picture for IG and wrote a little caption to go with it about what my version of developing a mind for winter looks like. Every season really does carry with it unique ways to enjoy the little gifts God sprinkles throughout our lives.

What about winter could convince you to love it?