Branches are coated in ice in December after freezing rain at the Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School farm fields in Northampton. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
A snowplow clears the road into Easthampton during a snowstorm last February. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
Paul Austin of Stamford, Vermont, in Easthampton visiting his daughter and son-in-law, strolls past the oaks along Taft Avenue with his grandson Henry, 6 months, as clouds move in late in the afternoon on Jan. 29. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
What is it about New England that makes us settle in after the holidays and the start of the year when January and February roll around?
Are we like black bears, hibernating in a den, passing the time when snow, ice and cold temperatures almost scream for us to lay low and stay close to home? Bears don’t have our comfort foods, flannel PJs, cozy socks or even furniture. Bears rough it outside in a rustic den someplace wearing their own thick coats. Not me, ever.
Bone-chilling outside? Fear not. The kitchen is warm and toasty, begging me to bake something that can come hot out of the oven to provide more heat inside the house. Wouldn’t a warm batch of chocolate chip cookies taste delicious? How about a pot of chili and some cornbread? That will stick to your ribs and keep you warm as your body works to digest the meal.
Better yet, a roast chicken in the oven will take at least an hour. To make it even more hearty why not stuff it with mushrooms, bread, onions, celery, butter and some herbs. Stuffing it will make it roast longer, heating up the kitchen even more.
If you decide to make gravy, you had better make mashed potatoes. My trouble is that I have a weakness for mashed potatoes and any kind of gravy. In fact, if I ever commit a serious crime and they promise me one last meal before I die, I think I’ll go with the mashed potatoes and chicken gravy. Memories of my grandmother’s fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy come to mind. All those meals forming a bird’s nest shape of mashed potatoes and filling it with gravy were divine in my childhood, and I still do the same thing to this day — a child at heart.
Eat too much of this and one can end up packing on the pounds. Pack on more pounds and chances are good you will stay a bit warmer in the cold weather. You mean there’s a perk for winter weight?
The editor of Real Simple magazine, Leslie Yazel, in her editorial for the February edition begins a sentence with the words, “Since February weather sometimes means staying in and getting cozy.” That reinforced my settling in for the winter mode of living.
Simply trying to get out of bed in the morning when the house is cold and the wind is howling can be a challenge. If you rise at an early hour then the house or apartment is dark. That’s a sign to stay inside the cave and not venture out.
Wouldn’t it be lovely if someone would show up at your bedroom door with a cup of hot coffee or cocoa, a mixed berry scone or croissant, and the morning paper? How divine! Why get up? Linger for a tad longer. But wait, who is this person that will suddenly appear with the paper and the goodies to enjoy it with? I guess life is not all that simple.
It takes more motivation for me to bundle up and go outside to walk when it’s really cold with the dog, some friends, or my sweetheart, or to go skiing in the Berkshires or Vermont. To skate on a pond creates cold toes for me, and skating at a rink means warmer toes but navigating small children zigzagging in all directions on the ice as I skate to avoid them.
When it is freezing why does that couch look inviting as I stand holding a good book in one hand and a cup of ginger peach tea in the other? My Labrador Retriever is completely passed out on her dog bed as I write this, looking snug as a bug in a rug.
Even the cat, perched on the top of the couch, is well aware of what to do in cold weather. If I watch a movie at night, the cat will climb down from the top of the couch and tuck in right next to me as I sit so he can snuggle and nestle in to stay warm. He’s no fool. The little guy even sits on top of the heat vents in the morning when I first get up and turn the heat on or fire up the wood stove if it’s frigid outside.
The major holidays are over. The big events in February are the the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day. The Super Bowl has come and gone. It did not keep all of the fans homebound because many like to party together, so it’s an exception to the hibernating experience in New England.
Valentine’s Day can get couples out and about dining in a restaurant. After dinner, most come home. Others order takeout to be delivered, or pick it up and bring it home. Some couples don’t go out to eat and end up cooking a romantic dinner for two at home. Warm and cozy, don’t you think? No need to tip if you make your own meal. You don’t need a designated driver, either, if you choose to imbibe.
Whether you go out to eat, order takeout, or stay home to cook a special meal, cuddle up on the couch after dinner, watch a good movie, and turn off your cell phone. Enjoy the rest of the freezing night doing what people in love like to do staying warm and toasty: romantic hibernating, so to speak.
The Gazette published an article in December about keeping warm outdoors in winter. Heat escapes our bodies when it’s cold and therefore we need to insulate ourselves to keep in the heat. That means layers will help keep us warm.
Now, I know that I look like the Pillsbury Doughboy when I am wearing the number of layers that I truly need to stay warm outdoors on a frigid day. Even when I ski, I have to make certain that I am wearing enough layers. Trouble is, moving around in those layers can decrease my flexibility and ability to bend. Ever bend over to pick up a ski pole that you have dropped on the ground? Kind of tough with all of those layers and clothes on.
Ever watch a class of kindergartners or first graders try to zip up boots when they have their snow pants and jackets on? They frequently need another pair of hands to help them because they can be so bundled up that even those young and flexible bodies have trouble bending over to do the job. Every now and then a child will topple over onto the floor. Usually hysterical laughter ensues when that happens because it looks so silly, and it is. I just love it when little kids get silly and giggle!
I’d like to say that spring is just around the corner but I know it’s not. Before spring even arrives we will have to deal with mud season, which seems to be the fifth season in New England, especially in towns that have dirt roads. It is actually more difficult to bear than winter because of the mess. Mud season is not here yet.
We still have time to tuck ourselves in and nestle to stay warm and cozy. In the meantime, as I yearn to see the first crocus and daffodils poke their heads through the ground outside my window, I will hunker down on those cold days and nights trying to stay warm inside, wearing fleece pants, a turtleneck, flannel or fleece top, and warm socks that a mother would love to see her children wear.
If the wind howls and the air feels chilly inside, I can always grab a blanket to wrap myself in like a cocoon as I sip a hot cup of tea or cocoa. Life doesn’t get much cozier than that on a cold, winter day.
Lynn K. Cooper, of Westhampton, is a writer and retired teacher.
