Top 10 ways to overcome winter doldrums

The coldest January in 35 years.  The snowiest winter since the Civil War.

Indianapolis continues to break records during this deep freeze.  And if that doesn't paint the picture,  meteorologists scare us with their forecasts sub-zero temps or the next snowfall.  And everyone is saying "enough already" though we understand winter is far from over.

So, what's a person to do? How can you survive a very long winter?







Here are my top 10 ways to overcome winter doldrums:

10. Get on the treadmill and walk a few miles.  It does wonders for your body and your attitude.

9.   Watch a funny movie.  Mike and I couldn't stop laughing when we recently watched the movie "Ted".   Days later we still talk about the big party fight scene...

8. Challenge your sweetie to a game of Scrabble.  We have the Scrabble app on our iPads, and it's easy to play a networked game while we're each covered up with afghan's in our family room.  And of course I like to win, and I might have taken advantage when my sweetie was tired and sick with a cold...

7.  Visit your local home and garden show.  For a few dollars you can spend hours wandering through exhibits of landscaping, beautiful flowers, butterfly gardens, hot tubs and more.  My favorite part was the massage recliner where I spent a wonderful 10 minutes, almost upside down in this chair.  Of course, I would never spend $4000 on a chair,  but it was fun to experience it.

6. Try a new restaurant.  Indy is having their annual "Devour Downtown" experience, and we enjoyed a wonderful Spanish tapas meal at the Barcelona restaurant with our friends Garth and Chris.  It was my first time there, and I loved trying new foods served small plate style.  Add a bottle of wine and catching up with friends, and it was the perfect recipe for a Saturday night.

5. Enjoy live music.  On Sunday night we went to the Slippery Noodle, and enjoyed a wonderful meal and some great blues.  And the best thing about Sunday night: no cover charge and no crowds.   It was a great way to spend an evening with friends where we could actually have a conversation with music in the background.

4.  Organize.  Ok, I know this sounds boring, but it's such a good feeling to clean out those cluttered drawers and closets.  After spending a few hours cleaning out drawers in our kitchen island, I can actually find the utensil I'm looking for.

3. Try a new recipe.  Comfort foods are just what I crave on a cold winter's night, and so last week we tried a new meatloaf recipe.  Of course it was a bit crumbly, and maybe somewhat bland, but we had a blast cooking together and have ideas on how to improve it next time.

2. Enjoy the beauty of a snowy landscape.  Despite the white background, I am finding beautiful color in the magnificent sunsets and the bright red Cardinals in the backyard.

Photo from gardenwalkgardentalk.com

1.  Read a book.  From the warmth of my house, I downloaded an e-book from my local library last week, and I was so engrossed that I finished it the same day.  Nothing like a good book to help you explore the world.

I would love to hear your comments on how you enjoy the winter.  I may need some new ideas to get me through the next few months...

Diane

Everlast

ing.  All things winter... 

It's January.  Time drags on. Snow keeps coming.  Sub-zero temps abound.  And then there's that lingering cold I've had since December.  And that stupid elbow fracture I've been recovering from since November.  As you can see, it's already been a very long winter, and I might be a bit whiny...







I generally try to be upbeat, but it's been a challenge so far this winter.  Here's my best attempt to find the upside...

I've just graduated to my 3rd antibiotic in 30 days.  As the pharmacist says, it's the "big guns" antibiotic.  I'm trying to be optimistic that this will kick this sinus thing once and for all.

My fractured elbow is improving.  I've graduated in my physical therapy from mobility exercises to light weights to strengthen the elbow.  And despite the fact that I think the medical profession may lack a sense of humor, I got the physical therapist to laugh today.  So imagine this:  a wooden cutting board with a wide strip of Velcro glued to it, and a you roll a Velcro covered lint brush back and forth across the cutting board.  Despite how strange that sounds, it really hurts my elbow.  A simple comment of  "who knew Velcro could be painful" and she about fell off her chair...

And despite a fresh snowfall every few days, it really is a beautiful winter.  And when the sun shines we get to see the bluest sky...

And though our winter world is usually black and white (and blue), I can still find a few flowers and beautiful plants in my house.

Yesterday I cleaned the exercise room, and I know it's been a long time when I had to dust  cobwebs off the treadmill.  Generally when I'm sick don't exercise, but enough of that attitude.  I'm going to try and force my body to get healthy!  And I've been walking on the treadmill for two days in a row.  New trend?  I hope so.

Snow roll.  Photo by M. Heart.

We spent a fun day with our friends Kevin and Kathy at their home in Illinois.  And I got to see my first "snow roll" ever.  Basically it's a weather phenomenon where the winds rolls up the snow into a wintery cinnamon roll. Very cool!














And Sunday was a day of football at Brian and Stacy's house.  You would think that Peyton Manning still played for the Colts as loud as everyone yelled when the Broncos beat the Patriots.  And yes everyone wore their Peyton Manning #18 Colts jerseys...

And I'm excited about an invitation to write guest blog post on a new retirement web site called Retirement and Good Living.  If you are interested, you can check it here:  http://retirementandgoodliving.com/a-new-chapter-retirement/

So goes winter here in Indiana.  I'm trying to like the snow, but I'm dreaming of a warm beach somewhere...

Hope you are staying warm, wherever you are.

Diane

Laughs and surprises

It's been a strange week of snowstorms (12 inches on Monday), sub-zero temps(-40 degrees windchill on Monday) and getting caught in a traffic jam on Tuesday caused by all the snow. And 4 days later came the rains that washed away most of the snow.  No one could make this up you know...

But with the week of crazy weather came some laughs and surprises...

Mike had his first snow day as a teacher, and judging from his "YAHOO!" reaction, he was just as excited as those snow days we remember as kids.

We turned off the outside Christmas lights, put the decorations into storage, and the big plastic snowman and Santa are resting comfortably in the garage.  The house is clean and spiffy, and I'm already dreaming about what decorating task to work on next.  I've been reading decorating magazines, and Mike is getting nervous.  I thought he was going to hyperventilate this morning when we were driving to breakfast and I mentioned changing the family room with new floors and furniture.  Hey, when weather forces me inside, I naturally think about creating a warm, comfortable environment around me.  That's just normal, right?

And way too much time this week was spent on health stuff for my liking.  I continue physical therapy on my fractured elbow.  I think it's greatly improving until I try to lift with that arm, and the pain reminds me of the orthopedic doctor warning me "do not lift until you have full mobility".  All I really want is faster healing. But instead I'm learning that if patience was not one of your strengths before retirement, it will not magically appear in retirement just because you have more time on your hands...

I had a follow-up visit with my new doctor, an internist highly recommended by Mike and another friend.  We talked about my elbow, my new calcium supplement and my "good" blood tests (except for the cholesterol).  You know,  I'm not really sure he has much of a sense of humor.  I told him I was hoping to talk him out of cholesterol drugs.   He didn't even acknowledge this comment, but he just kept on typing on his laptop.  Later when we were discussing my long-running sinus infection/cold, and I made a comment "I'm a real mess, aren't I?" he didn't miss a beat.  Just kept on typing.  And then it occurred to me that he might be typing his own commentary about me...like "she's a real whiner" or "she think's she funny" or "what is her problem?" or "why is she talking so much?".  What can I say, I get nervous at the doctor's office, and couldn't he at least smirk a bit at my comments...

And we were all prepared for the Colts game last night.  Our friends Chuck and Melanie came over to watch the game.  And all decked out in our Colts attire, we watched an exciting but disappointing game against the Patriots.  And "it's only weird if it doesn't work" comes to mind as we had my little mascot, Blue, in the family room for the game.  And the Colts lost...

This morning Mike mentioned being at the pharmacy yesterday when a woman asked him to help her read the small print on some document.  He told her he could do better than that, and he whipped out his Swiss Army knife with the magnifying glass on it.  Here's our conversation:
He said the woman was "very impressed!"
I said "was she an older woman?"
He responded "no she was rather young".
I'm not sure why but I said "she was probably hitting on you".
He said  "A lot of women hit on me that can't see very well".
I am sure I laughed for a full five minutes on that one...

And on a day when the U.S. Olympic skating tryouts are on television, I was delighted to see nature's version of skating.  We were driving by a frozen lake, and a Canadian goose came in for a landing.  Wings extended, his feet hit the ice and he glided across the lake.  Maybe not a triple axle, but beautiful really.

So, I'm trying to get healthy but still noticing the laughs and surprises all around me.  Maybe I am getting better after all...

Take care and have a super week!
Diane

What a beautiful day to be retired

18 inches of snow on the deck

"What a beautiful day to be retired" was the first text I received this morning from my brother Gary.  And I totally agree!

We received 12 inches of snow yesterday, and I awoke this morning to a -13 degree temperature and -41 windchill.

We are under a travel advisory which recommends NO TRAVEL.  And I'm fine with that...

Our Jeep is ready to go

And though most schools and businesses are closed, I'm still relieved that I don't need to worry about whether I should be at work or working remotely.  I remember all the times in the past I made a super-human effort to get to work in blizzards, and I'm happy those days are behind me.  Yes, it's a beautiful day to be retired!

We are fortunate to be cozy in our warm home with lots of food in the 'fridge.  And Mike and I recognize how lucky we are to be together now and not 500 miles apart.

Plastic frosty smiles at the real stuff...

We are definitely staying inside today, possibly with the exception of my crazy husband who wants to say he has experienced this low of a temperature.  What can I say? (Oh yes, he did take several of these pictures...)

And what kind of cruel hoax is this anyway?

Take care and be safe!
Diane

Make no mistake...THIS is winter!

Morning sky

I awoke yesterday to a beautiful winter sky, and I remembered my dad saying "red sky at morning is a sailor's warning".  Though beautiful it seemed to foreshadow the storm ahead.

And just when I thought I left the harsh  winters behind in Iowa... this year may be proving otherwise.  I keep telling Mike that he never warned me Indiana winters could be so tough.  False advertising?  Hmm...

We have a major snow storm underway with at least 10 inches of new snow falling today,  on top of the 6 inches we got on Thursday.


But the real news may be the bone-chilling cold.  Tonight the temps are predicted to drop to -17 degrees F. with wind chills of -40 to -50 degrees. And the high temp tomorrow is -12 degrees.  Seriously!  Let's hope we don't lose electricity...
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So we are hunkered down for several days making the best of a storm that is sure to break records.  And as you might expect, I am trying to find the upside in this craziness...

At least we used green plastic wrap...

The Christmas Tree has been stored away for the season.

Doesn't everyone wrap their tree in plastic wrap, tie it into a large barrel and hoist it into the attic?




















Lentil stew is simmering in the Crock Pot....

Mike digging for the paper

We found the newspaper in all the snow...

Can't beat a large horse shoe in front of the house (no, this is not our house)

The Colts won against the Chiefs in a nail-biter game last night.  Go Colts!

And there really is some beauty in this heavy, heavy snow.  Sorry for these bleak pictures, but that's the kind of light we had today...

Road? What road?

Winter wonderland

Back yard

Our house

Bird feeders heavy with snow

Where have all the flowers gone?

And I have to admit that I've been a slug all day.  Mike has cleaned the driveway twice with the snow blower, and I've been napping and reading and generally trying to recover from this ugly sinus infection.  At least that's my excuse anyway...

Stay safe!  Diane

Holiday musings...

Happy New Year!

Mike and I enjoyed a quiet New Year's Eve and a busy New Year's Day which is the opposite of our usual plans.  Recovering from a frightful head cold, I didn't have the energy to attend a friend's New Year's Eve party.  Instead we nestled at home, making a pot of potato soup and playing Scrabble.  I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that  after winning a game shortly before midnight, I declined a rematch so I could end the year on a winning note!

Front wheel off the ground. Gotta love it!

And this afternoon we enjoyed Indy's annual auto show.  We aren't really in the market for a new car, but we enjoy cars.

The highlight was Camp Jeep where we got to ride in a new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited as it traversed various obstacles including ramps, logs and a 30 degree hill that was 13 feet high.  It was a blast!  Makes us want to sign up for another Jeep trip in 2013.





Even though the holidays are ending,  my mind wanders over those special, funny  and crazy moments of the past month...

It was a great musical holiday with Mike playing piano at several events.  Mom told us about song her dad played on piano when she was a small girl, and after finding the sheet music on the Internet,  Mike played the song for her.  It was a moment I'll never forget...

In November I described my "graceful" fall on a hickory nut.  Well, last week I finally got an answer on why it was still hurting 6 weeks later.  It was actually a fracture of the elbow radial head, which showed up on last week's x-ray.  It will take 3-4 months to heal, and there's a lot more physical therapy in my future.  But you know, now that I have an explanation of why it still hurts, I don't feel crazy (just  klutzy)!

At our local bagel shop, "Gino's table" is reserved for a group of men who get together regularly for breakfast and coffee. Well, one of the regulars at this table is our Catholic priest.   Last week while eating our bagels, we overhead the men anxiously awaiting the priest to show up so they could give him a Christmas gift:  a calendar of the new Pope.  Somehow that just made us smile...

I learned about new kitchen gadgets from potato chip makers(which don't work so well) to "chargers" which I don't totally understand.  Basically a charger is a large plate that you set under your dinner plate.  They look cool, and I'm guessing they may be designed to protect your table from a hot plate, but I'm not really sure...

My friend's college-age son sent me a copy of a screenplay he wrote.  I was very impressed at his writing, and I was honored to read it.  He is currently making it into a short film.   I think he is very talented, and maybe we will someday see his work at Sundance...

On New Year's Eve day we stopped at Walgreen's to pick a few things, and I tried NOT TO SMILE  at the  young man ahead of us in line.  He was buying tooth whitener toothpaste, mouthwash and condoms.  I just loved his optimism...

I made some Christmas gifts this year, and I was thrilled to watch people opening the gifts.  People seemed delighted and surprised (which I hope this was about the gifts and not surprise that I actually made them).

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  Small handbag

  
  

  

  Coin purse

  
  

  

  My version of "industrial chic" jewelry 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The best moments of the holidays were those with family and friends.  We were fortunate to get together with the important people in our lives (though I am a bit homesick for my Iowa friends)...
  
  
  Mike has a resolution of doing a better job of opening doors for me (which I'm not sure he ever did before).  I could definitely get used to this ...

I wish you health and happiness in the new year.  I am so grateful for all of you who read this blog.  I am finding my way as a writer, and this blog has been such an important outlet for my thoughts about retirement.  Thanks for your interest in my little corner of the world.

Our "tradition"of getting donuts after a snowstorm...

And as we head into another winter snowstorm tonight, visions of donuts dance through my head...

Have a great weekend! Diane