A Happy Hibernation

The Allen Girls giggled at our deer with the snow Afro!

January of 2014 is well under way, and the Allen Family is amidst the mid winter hibernation! 

Christmas has come and gone, the decorations put away, and we are recovering from the craziness of the season. 

There is something to be said for the quiet of January, as we relax together, enjoy each others company, and rejuvenate before the bloom of spring. Reading books, baking, doing crafts, playing board games, and taking naps have become a regular around here ~ oh yes, maybe a good rowdy competition of Mario Kart just to get the laughter rolling!

The polar vortex and arctic freeze has come and gone, giving us temperatures that are a little more normal for this time of year in Upstate, New York. Mother Nature decided to throw us a bone yesterday warming our temperature into the 50's, which was such a tease! I was dying to go play outside as the mocking spring temperatures called to me. The one who enjoyed the quick stint of warmer air the most was Sandy, and the was proof displayed on her Husky fur which was covered in mud from snout to tail. The chickens were roaming their yard, excited to be free from the barn. I watched them peck feverishly, through the melting snow piles and thawing mud for outdoor treats. Meanwhile, I kicked up my feet inside with a pot of coffee, one of our many seed catalogs, and a big red pen...

The time for quiet refection and family reconnection is not a popular ideal today. Society has reached a point where the "new normal" runs at warp speed. This City Gone Country Girl went through some serious growing pains to slow down my city driven pace and acclimate to the down home country stride. My view from the window is not highways, its pastures with cows. The city noise has been replaced by the hum of tractors. The rushed looks on faces heading to their already late schedules... here in the country, I see much less of that. I witness more smiles, hear genuine hellos, and experience true friendships with laughter. 

I wouldn't change that for the world!

I want my girls to learn the importance of relaxation, and our Homestead has become the agent of learning. As technology becomes integral part of daily life, I want them to know it's okay unplug and turn it off. For our mind, body, and spirit, we need quiet times in soothing places for self reflection. A venue where we can nurture interests and talents. Cozy corners for reading or quiet conversation (with lots of pillows and plush blankets,of course!). 

I used to dread the dead of winter, but I am learning to enjoy it in a different way. I still don't like the cold much, but I enjoy the coziness of being indoors with my family and friends. I get a little more quality time with my loved ones when I don't have to compete with busy summer and fall schedules. I spend a little more time observing the needs of others than the needs of my spring garden. Schedules are a little more flexible, with free time to pencil in a coffee chat with a girlfriend, dinner dates with other couples, and visits with extended family. We may not be able to grow veggies and flowers on our Allen Family Homestead during this time of year, but maybe we grow something more important. Relationships!

May you use this winter time to Hibernate and Grow ~ 
City Gone Country Girl ~ Jenn Allen

"A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body"
~ Benjamin Franklin

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.
Benjamin Franklin
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