Give Peace a Chance – Are You “against” the Winter?

Church sign: Whoever is praying for snow please stop

Last week’s Snowpocalypse Chicago snowfall is still everywhere on the ground and with this week’s upcoming low temps, it isn’t going anywhere.  My absolute favorite snow photo was this one given to me by a reading client.

Church sign: Whoever is praying for snow please stop
Favorite Snow Photo

But really, since we’ve still got a while more with winter, I decided to stop fighting it, and stop complaining about it.  Outwardly I do not complain much at all, but today I realized that inside I was really whining about the snow and cold, missing my green tree leaves, missing my summer clothing and warm breezes.

Many people are more disconnected from nature in winter, and this can lower immune systems, and increase stress.  A connection with nature and the earth benefits each of us, like having strong roots making you feel more centered and peaceful.  So is the answer moving to Hawaii?  Well, not today at least.  🙂  One option is to recognize your inner emotional battle with this weather, and let go of it, make peace.

So for the rest of the winter I will make peace with it.  I will ease myself out of an inner whining state, and let go of fighting it.  After all, I choose to live in Chicago and this comes with the territory, as they say.  This photo is me making peace with the snow and the cold.  It was fun to make this today.  I kind of felt like a kid again.

peace sign made in the snow
Making Peace with Winter 2010-2011

Chicago Snowed-in with the “SNOMG” “Snowpocalypse” Snow of Feb 2011

view of Chicago Albany Park street after big Feb 2011 snow, many cars buried in snow

Well sometimes they say it’s hard to think of what to write about, but not today!  For days now people have been talking about the snow storm that was coming.  We stocked up on groceries and filled our gas tank on Monday, and Tuesday afternoon and evening we watched the blizzard out of our windows, all safe and warm at home.  At first it looked like a snow globe that someone kept shaking, with all the blowing snow, but then it was snowing and blowing just too much, and looked more like some scene out of a movie.

It’s a great time to be a renter with a garage space, since the building owner’s son is due to come this afternoon with a big snow blower and plow out the alley.  Lorenzo has chronic back issues, so thankfully he is not tempted to help with the shoveling.

Currently he is working on coloring on the computer an original hand drawing he did of a lion, with a great big mane and a pretty cute face.  It’ll be up in our etsy shop by mid February, and I think it will be a big hit.

In the center back you see a snow drift in the shape of a wave
Snowy view from kitchen window 2/2/11, double click to see larger view of wave-shaped snow drift, center back
View of Chicago street after huge snowfall, good samaritans helping jeep stuck in snow
Good Samaritans dig out jeep in Chicago's Albany Park Neighborhood, SNOMG Snowpocalypse Feb 2011
view of Chicago Albany Park street after big Feb 2011 snow, many cars buried in snow
Let's hope this is the biggest snow of the season! The perils of street parking in a blizzard.