Some of you are experiencing cabin fever. I have heard from many people about this lately. Of course it’s that time of year, and this winter is no exception for sure. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones in that I don’t usually get cabin fever, but I feel for those that do! I just spoke to my 89 year old Aunt in New Jersey who lives alone in her big old house in the suburbs where she (they) raised a family of 5 children, who now have children and grandchildren of their own. She lives alone now, and is hunkered down trying to survive another nor’ easter - aka “bomb cyclone snowstorm”. She’s seen many; this one seems to be the worst she remembers, and lasting the longest. She is warm. She’s not concerned, just cabin bound. We shared concern over the ones who are not warm, the homeless, the hungry, and the children.
Here in the deep south, it is definitely winter ~ however, without the snow and ice, which is unusual for this time of year. We are normally so wet here in the winter. We’ve been dry since August, with only a couple of showers to ease the drought. It is very cold. Getting out and breaking ice several times a day for the animals to have fresh water is not fun, especially when the ice is very thick. But we love our farm animals. I feel sorry for the ones who don’t get special attention this time of year.
I recall growing up, when we would be without a dryer and my mother had to get out and hang clothes even in the cold. I know she would also hang many things around the wood stove, in the small bathroom where we had a little gas heater and in the kitchen near the cook stove. There were many of us kids, so there were many diapers (yes, real cloth ones) to hang out as well as our play clothes and my father’s work clothes. That was back in the day before people bought whole closets full of clothes, which then spilled over into spare bedrooms, and even piles of clothes on floors for lack of anywhere to hang them. We each had only a few, and they were always used and passed down to the younger children. If people had to still hang clothes out to dry on the lines, what would you bet there would not be so many clothes to wash and dry in each household!
Some of you with children at home are having "the fever" especially with sick family members and the winter and holiday vacation seeming longer than usual this year! I remember those days. I personally am a homebody, so I loved “being stuck at home”, but of course, even that can get old when it lasts too long and the kids get restless. We would put on some old family movies, make homemade cookies, read books and play toys on the floor on a nice warm blanket. We were blessed. Not everyone is.
Just remember that spring is right around the corner, daffodils will soon be pushing their little buds through the cold earth, and before you know it, we’ll be complaining about the heat! So relax and enjoy today, it is a gift! And remember:
Roses are Red
Violets are blue
Your home is blessed
Because there is you!
~ Gwen of IRISH ACRES
