It is 17 degrees outside. The biting wind is blowing and swirling a heavy snowfall. I watch from the safety of my cozy little home, thankful. We are supposed to get up to two feet of snow today and it is well on its way at with 6 inches fallen at just past noon.

I am quite fond of winter. The maintenance of snow removal is sometimes daunting but it is something that you just have to embrace and do methodically. It becomes a meditation as you clear paths and rake roofs. Allow yourself to enjoy the brisk wind and the cold on your face instead of fighting it. It is nature and it is magical. I love the peacefulness of winter after the holidays are over and there is time to hibernate.

I usually stock up my pantry in the fall so I have to leave the house as little as possible in winter. I embrace the solitude. I have many things to do that keep my mind and hands busy.

On this Midwinter’s Day, I pull out some violet stems I collected in the fall and twist up cordage as I think about what I am going to plant in my gardens this year. Violet stems make a very pretty cordage with various shades of greens and purples. It is very strong so can’t be used as a rope, but it is a lovely addition to baskets and weaving artwork. As I twist, I dream of wandering my gardens and woods and gathering from the abundance Mother Earth provides. I am always amazed at what the Earth provides if we allow ourselves to see, I am grateful and in awe at this.

Today is also the day I start Spring cleaning. Just a light cleaning and taking an inventory of what needs to be done. I take note of kitchen cupboards, closets, under the sinks and stairs, all those places things get shoved and forgotten. I notice loose handles, anything that needs a deep cleaning or a fresh coat of paint. Anything that hasn’t been used in the last year is also noted, later I will decide if it is worth keeping. I make my plan and lists.

I bought a planner this year to help me stay on track as I do suffer from what I have learned is Executive Dysfunction. I know that it helps me to break down the things that need to be done into small tasks. Things that can be done in 30 minutes or less. I have always just had lists stuck to the fridge on tables and in notebooks. The problem is that I misplace and forget about these lists. My thought is with a planner I can set a goal time for the BIG job to be done. Then I break it down into small tasks and assign the small tasks a place in my daily schedule. If I do each little task then it will be done without having to focus on the BIG. If I stay focused on just the small steps, I am less likely to fall into the overwhelm state of numbness and inability to DO anything. With the planner it is all in one place. The tasks are actually assigned to a timeline instead of just on a list. I don’t know, I hope it helps. As long as I can keep track of the planner.

This is my plan for this Midwinter’s day.

Be grateful for the beautiful winter and my cozy little home.

Be grateful and use what I have harvested.

Be grateful and plan for future harvests.

Begin spring cleaning with mindfulness and gratitud.

Begin using my planner to help cope with what I believe is a trauma induced dysfunction. I may not be able to heal it, but I can learn new ways to cope better.

What are you doing to honor Midwinter’s Day this year?