What do you do during the winter?

Hi, as a newbie to this forum, (but longtime member of the Southwest Gardening Forum), I know this question has probably been asked before, but, since it's been 17 years or so since I lived in a cold weather climate...Western New York (rural area outside of Buffalo)... and because I'd like to get to know all of you a bit more, please humor me and tell me what you do during the months when you can't garden... hobbies, fun activities, cooking... inquiring minds want to know!

I guess it's only fair to share what I think I'll be doing... reading, planning my gardens for next spring, cold weather cooking, holidays, skiing, playing pool, maybe some embroidery, finding some projects, maybe learn to crochet... I don't know. I work from home, I don't think family and friends will be here this holiday season, so add to the list, we'll be eating too much at the holidays because we don't know how to cook less.

And all of you??? I moved here from Arizona, so it's a bit of a change of mindset. Thanks in advance for sharing!

Brenda

Well, I go a little crazy in winter. I really miss the sunlight. I do more cooking in the winter and go to the gym to work out because I don't have gardening for exercise. I shovel snow, when we have it. I will talk to anybody on DG in any of the threads I am interested in, but DG gets kind of quiet in the winter. I, too, will read. I am way behind on my reading. I will plant seeds under lights about March. I will take a trip, hopefully to a very warm climate -- I hope but we haven't figured out one yet.
I will go through all my flower pictures taken during the year, label them and put them in the right directory e.g. iris, roses, daylilies, trees, etc. I will put the ones in Plant Files that look like they will add something.
I will pour over plant catalogs, order too many seeds and possibly plants and hopefully learn to use my new chipper-shredder which is so far still in its box. I will thaw hoses and water if it is dry and read several major newspapers on-line. We have a new president and administration to follow in the news.
And who knows what else? Winter is always a challenge for me. I would like to learn to sew but am very intimidated by the sewing machine I bought when I retired. It is really complicated.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, pajaritomt! If there is a Joanne store near you, they have sewing lessons for free, but that doesn't mean they'll teach you your exact machine. It may get you started, though. I left out catching up with our scrapbooks, I'm about a year behind. Good idea about flower pictures and plantfiles... I'll put that on my to-do list!

Brenda

Hey Brenda I just sit on DG and write poetry. LOL
Each winter we gaze at the labor of intent
Of making our garden a most beautiful event
We clean and we shred our delicate friends
Into the compost to be renewed again
We who live where snow is the norm
Gaze on our pile through a November storm.
Hang in there Brenda!

Alas, nobody around here seems to give basic lessons. I took the classes on my machine in Albuquerque -- 100 miles away. But what I need is a class where you make a project with a lot of help from the teacher. No such class exists as far as I can tell. We have a quilt shop which teaches quilting and even the making of garments, but even the most basic classes ( I have taken two) are too basic for me. I can't go as fast as the teacher feels she has to go for the class.
I need to sit down and learn to sew from a pattern and my machine book and a book on sewing. That takes time. Perhaps I will be able to talk myself into it this winter.

Most women have taken home ec. My high school was a college prep school and didn't teach it.

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First, Soferdig, would it be okay with you if I printed that verse and hung it somewhere here at my home? It is awesome and hopeful and kind of says it all!

Pajaritomt (do you wish to share your real name?)... perhaps I can help you long distance. I used to sew a lot when I was much younger, these days I only sew decor things,draperies, or alterations to my own clothes, but I was taught well when I was young. If you know how to thread your sewing machine, and how to make it do basic stitches (just a straight stitch will do), I can help you learn how to make things, use a pattern, etc., if that's what you want. First, you should start with something simple, easy, and fun. Do you like aprons? Placemats? Pillows? Let me know if you'd like me to help... that would give me something to do over the winter!

All of my poetry is yours. We did a long "Poetry on the pile" last year to make the winter go faster and prosed our selves through the winter. I can't get it to work. Soil and Composting Poetry on the pile part II

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By the way, Soferdig, love that pic, tell me about it! I'll see if I can find your poetry on the pile thread! Thanks for sharing...

I often go to Sitka and they have a place where the humpbacks accumulate in a small bay. It is called whale park and I was playing with my whale friends.

bsavage, I really appreciate you offer of help by mail. I will be pleased to give you my real name, email etc. I always share it with people I have gotten to know on-line -- rather than posting it for the world to see. Will send a dmail.
I don't care what I sew. I just want to learn. I can do a straight stitch and read a pattern. My problem is picking the right needle, getting the tension right, etc. etc. I actually think I might like to start by hemming my pants. It costs about $12 to have this done, not to mention driving 35 miles each way to drop them off and pick them up. I am sure I could do it anc could move on from there. I would be happy to do simple projects. My chief interest is altering the clothes I buy -- which often don't quite fit and perhaps duplicating clothes that I have warn out from the pieces of the old ones. But the latter will be later.
The biggest problem is starting -- because the classes were so intimidating.
But I will start as soon as the weather quits being so nice. We are having a very unseasonable warm spell right now so I am still planting.
Watch for DMail from me.
Betty ( everyone on DG, practically, knows my first name.)

Betty? Whose Betty?

This winters projects:
1) PF, PF, PF and DG book reviews
2) Writing articles for the CHS (horticultural society)
2) Learn how to work my my new camera and practise
3) I volunteered to coordinate open gardens for the CHS so will have to get cracking on that in early new year to make our newsletter deadlines for first showings in May
4) Jan/Feb -Go to AZ and NM
4) February-seeding commences YIPPEE! so its summer.

Welcome bsavage. I'm about the same as you on Winter activities. A degree of planning for next year's garden. Having fun doing things like skiing or rollerblading, or reading a good book. I also have other projects like finishing insulating the garage. The list is always longer than there is time to do it.

I tried rollerblading once. Got all geared up like robocop and pushed off. Almost went over the seawall in Stanley Park (Vancouver BC) going about 40 mph trying to stop like ice skating (which doesn't work). The end of the rollerblading adventures for me. I think I would break myself if I kept at it.

LOL, dahlianut! Gotta be careful on those rollerblades! It sounds like both you and DParsons have lots of good things to keep you busy!

Good question! I'll have to get something down later.

LOL dahlianut. That is a visual. :)

I generally stay on pretty flat terrain. Just keep the relationship
steepness_of_terrain < skill_level
and you'll be fine.

I have always thought I would like rollerblading, but I have been warned that it isn't for people my age. Harrumph! Tipper Gore did it -- of course she is younger than me. I probably would have done it already, but I don't have the equipment. Did you rent yours or buy it DN?
I forgot to add that I am writing an article for the Aril Iris Society Newsletter and will be working on the minutes for the local branch of The AIS ( American Iris Society) this winter.
DN is being silly. She know who Betty is. ( One of two tour guides who will guide her around New Mexico in Jan/Feb.

I rented the whole kit and kaboodle paj. Skates and robocop gear. It's a good way to try it as after your near death experience you aren't stuck with the gear. I looked pretty darn cool but boy was I bad at it.

It is probably for the best that I don't know where to rent the equipment.

Pajarito, its easy. Its just rollerskating but without brakes.

Actually, its risky to start something like this at 50+. If you've been quite active less so. I know someone who had the skates on just long enough for the paramedics to pull them off. 5 minutes to put the skates on. 1 second to break her hip. 20 minutes to wait on the paramedics and the pain meds. Distance traveled: -3 ft vertical, 0 ft horizontal.

Now I feel really lucky! Be careful dparsons.

Sounds like a really good thing that I don't know where to rent the equipment. Perhaps I will stick with knitting and gardening.

or sports where the equipment has brakes!

I live for danger! Well, not really. I just haven't stopped riding atop wheels since I was ~3 years old. Its a good reason to get outside and enjoy nature, and something my son and I can enjoy together. At some point I will consider myself past the activity and do something else. I have given up tackle football. :)

I had no idea that rollerblades didn't have brakes. Glad you enjoy it. I think I am past the age for it, but I sure like the idea of roller skating. I used to do it with sakes that fit on shoes as a kid. Loved it.

They do come with a brake. The brake is ineffective and awkward to use. I think it is largely there for liability reasons.

Perhaps lawnbowling ^_^ We still play football at halftime on Grey Cup Sunday (this Sunday BTW). Is everyone cheering for Calgary? LOL just kiddin. You will all be prepping for upcoming Turkey Day. I was in North Carolina one grey cup and had to keep phoning the newspaper in Charlotte to get the game off the wire as it came in. They thought it was a hoot! and started phoning me with updates as they happened.

Lawnbowling and croquet! Both are more challenging with a little snow on the ground too!

I have never been able to sew, skate or sing well! I am, however, a great dancer...at least in my own mind. I like to crank up the music and go bouncing around! I also paint and draw, take pictures, read some, watch movies and some t.v., computer, D.G. of course! This winter I want to organize my pictures better and put most of them on to c.d.'s to get them out of the way for 2009. I hope to get photoshop and try to learn it a little. Probably won't take classes in it til summer, though. Last winter I spent more time on practicing my tai chi and related stuff, meditation, chi gung. It would be a good idea to work more on that. I will have my usual classes in those things, as a student and a teacher. My in-laws take a certain amount of time, too. Shoveling snow here and there, grocery runs, etc. I like to get out and walk every day for a little while if possible. In some ways I look forward to the quieter, more inward time of winter. I spent 3 hours watering today and if we keep being warm like this I will be watering once a week. And I'm tired of it. Our service berry is budding now! I may be picking apricots in february if this keeps up!

Daffodils are in bud in AZ!!! Only 4 weeks til spring!!! Just thought I'd throw that in again.

I like your point of view Dahlia. I have mixed feeling about this warm spell. I love getting out in the sunshine and going around without a coat. On the other hand, I worry about what this means for the natural world including trees, bugs and humans. But four weeks until spring is totally natural and as it has been for millennia. I am pleased about that. I have always struggled with winter, probably because I grew up where winters were quite warm and trees mostly didn't lose their leaves.

Thanks so much, everyone, for sharing! First, if you haven't been to the Southwest Gardening Forum, and you need a bit of sunshine and blooms this time of year, check out all my friends there (I'm still on that forum, because I'm kind of southwest, but my climate is sooooo different). It took me years to figure out how to garden in AZ, now I can't wait till spring and gardening here!

I used to rollerblade, maybe I might have to think about that again, and then sit back down and stop thinking about it, LOL!

Okay, maybe in the spring...

Brenda

Our weather patterns (Albuquerque-wise) include moisture from the South for the duration of the monsoon season. That ends and we usually get a period of quiet and warmth for a good while in the Fall. For us, monsoon-type moisture continued a bit late into October. So the warm dry spell seems normal. Don't worry pajarito, the Winter track will start soon enough. When the jetstream dips low for us we will see some cold and snow. The timing just varies a bit from year to year.

Thanks for the info dparsons. It is hard to remember exactly when it changes from year to year. I am really enjoying the warm weather for planting and gardening in general.

It does seem that the warm dry weather has lasted so long! Not that I am complaining either, I am dreading the short cold days where the kiddos are in the house ALL day long! LOL. :)

Welcome Brenda! I too, moved up here from Phoenix- and it is a whole different ball of wax. Much more fun in my opinion- at least I can grow bulbs without my frig!
Hmm- in winter, since I still have all these animals- I am out in the bitter cold wind twice a day to feed, clean the barn, make sure everyone is warm and dry. That alone is an adventure. Last winter I did not have a good handle on how to keep my hoses from freezing up all the time and I spent hours hauling water from my house up to the barn. It is around 450 feet away and uphill around 40 feet- carrying 40 lbs of water in each hand kept me in shape.
I also run during the winter to stay active- otherwise I would turn back into a lump. I hate getting hot when I run now, so I only do it in the winter- funny huh? (Since garden, bicycles and horses are a bit out of the question)
I also sew a bunch- so if you Betty and Brenda need any help let me know. I have been sewing for 35 years now. I have designed my own clothes, Sydney's clothes, my horses clothes(LOL) and any number of other items over the years. I have supplented my income with sewing for many years as well, with everythign from alterations to dance recital costumes, riding clothes (bicycle and horse) and leather wear too. So ask away!
I also have about a million yards of fabric here- so if you need something specific, or you want a quilt kit with all the colors worked out already- let me know- I can out it together for ya! (Pick a color- any color-LOL!)
Here is an outfit I did for my daughter- it got LOTS of attention- one of a kind- much quilting technique in this:

Kathy

Here is another of a pirate costume I did for Syd a few years ago:

This was my favorite one ever- just fyi- the fabric did come with the rbbon already ruched- still quite a bit of work in the ruffles and the entire back is shirred for fit.

I just LUV those outfits. What a lucky little girl to have such a talented mom!