Hibernation: An Art

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Winter is a time of promise because there is so little to do — or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so. ~Stanley Crawford, American writer and farmer

‘Tis the season for us to hibernate,
Hole up indoors and try to acclimate
While the snows outside start to accumulate
And the frigid temperatures rush to accelerate.

The wise prepare for this transition to incubate:
They gather food when the weather is adequate,
Gas for the car and wood for the grate;
Books, movies, puzzles while they isolate.

This season of quiet gives us time to cogitate
The meaning of Life and how we might mitigate
The miseries others face and extrapolate
Things we can do to make peace proliferate.

Of course, none of us can ever anticipate,
Nor can anyone fully appreciate
How long, how dreary this time we tolerate.
Ideas germinate, but we procrastinate.

We mean to get things done, but wait!
A nap is calling, so we vacillate.
Clean closets, tax prep, and such might motivate.
Maybe tomorrow. Today we vegetate!

Note: This is some sort of rhyming verse, I think.

39 thoughts on “Hibernation: An Art”

  2. Debbie, your words are not only beautiful, but inspiring as well!

    As you already know, I adore winter. So these this part really rang true…

    “This season of quiet gives us time to cogitate
    The meaning of Life and how we might mitigate”

    I LOVE that!

    I find winter incredibly invigorating, but calming and peaceful at the same time. This is the time of year when my creative energy gets a boost. Oddly enough, it’s summer I find stifling and less motivating.

    And speaking of snow, we FINALLY got some last night. I can’t wait to get out there today and enjoy it. Also, speaking of taxes, I will be doing mine this week.

    Thanks for sharing your talent with words, my friend. Enjoyed this post!

    Have a faaaabulous week! X

    • Thank you, Ron — I’m glad you enjoyed it. I, too, relish a time for cozying in. In the spring/summer/fall months, I tend to be a busy bee, but winter is for hibernating. The bears have it right, ha!

      I could see by the map that y’all were going to get snow, and I know how much you love that! I hope you’ll get out with your camera and show us, once it’s safe to venture outside. xx

  3. What a perfectly timed post, Debbie! It’s currently 22F here, with a wind chill of 6F. Many elevated roadways and bridges are ice covered, and schools are closed. By tomorrow, we’ll be well above freezing, but yesterday and today are times to hibernate.

    Yesterday, I made a big pot of chicken stew, fed the birds, and ate too many cookies with my tea. Today? I’ll feed the birds a couple of times and explain to my plants that they really don’t want to be outdoors. Then? I might take a nap!

    • You know, I knew this front was going far south (but at least it won’t settle in for long there). I’m glad you, too, are able to hibernate — far too many people seem to have an “itch” and can’t hunker down with enjoyment! Perhaps that’s why we need to close schools, so those folks will be forced to stay off the icy roads and bridges, letting the professionals do proper cleanup. I’m reminded of those Pandemic days, when we all had to shelter at home. Some folks just handle that sort of thing better than others (my mom would say some are better able to entertain themselves, something she insisted we learn as kids!)

    • Laurie, I’m with you. As long as I prepare ahead of time, I’m fine with sheltering in. Monk, of course, seems to always be on the wrong side of the door!

    • Thanks for the compliment, Frank. I could see from the map that ice and misery were headed south (where they’re just not as equipped to handle them as we are). There’s a certain rhythm to the seasons, though, and Winter is perfect for hibernating!

  6. You are so right. For those of us who were raised in the north ( I have lived in the south for over 25 years) I still get amazed how these people freak out over bad weather. Then you have little chuckles. This week I had a scheduled a.c. maintenance check so I called and cancel that. It’s about 10 degrees outside! Stay warm!

    • Hi, I just found your comment lurking in the Spam folder. Sorry about that! Yes, I do understand, having lived south and north. But in the defense of those southerners, their cold feels so much colder (probably due to the dampness), and they really don’t have the apparel or road equipment to handle it. But they’re lucky in that it never settles in as long as ours does.

      • We have both been around this blogging world long enough to know these things happen. The first one for me was duke1959 .You are right they don’t have the equipment to deal with much snow. Nashville got 7.6 inches which is more than get in an entire year. By next week it will be 60.

    • I’m happy you enjoyed it, Barbara. I, too, like having an “excuse” for doing nothing (or doing close-to-home things that I procrastinate at “friendlier” times of the year, when I’d rather be outdoors!)

    • Thank you, Kelly. At least we’re seeing some sun every so often, though it’s not doing much to warm us up. But they keep telling us that this bitter below-zero cold will eventually give way to temps in the 20s — woo hoo!!

    • Rap? Seriously?? I don’t listen to rap, so I can assure you that’s not where my intentions were. Still, I’m honored you caught the rhythm and found it enjoyable! It actually was lots harder to write than I thought it would be when I started, but it just wasn’t going together as prose so I turned it into poetry. Funny how that works sometimes!

  11. There’s a lot of ate in this post! Most of those are not in my vocabulary although I do get the point you are making, Debbie! Love how you are so creative and skilled with words!

    Yorkie has learned a new word. Freezin’ ! She has not been outside for two days. I have asked her with the door open. She just stands there looking at me like I’m crazy. It won’t be warm enough for her until Thursday afternoon, just before the next cold front on Saturday. Her indoor potty box has become a blessing for her. Yorkie has on her list for online shopping: ear muffs, beanie hat, coat, two pairs of boots and one nose warmer. Her sweater just is not enough! Yorkie is freezin’ !

    We are both wondering how Monkey could survive having to go out to potty. And why he would want to go outside. The only reason we can think of is that he must need to potty outdoors, or else he’d get the boot on his rear bumper!

    • Poor Yorkie. Tiny dogs really do suffer in this frigid weather. Monk has a thick, fluffy inner coat, topped with a long, hair-like outer coat, and his breed comes from Scotland, so “his people” are used to the cold. I don’t know how he stands it outdoors — I go out with him sometimes, but since he has a fenced backyard, I don’t feel the need to do so all the time.

      I love Yorkie’s wish list for warm outerwear. Monk has coats, of course, and boots (which I haven’t tried on him yet — I fear he’d shake them off, leaving me to go outside and fetch them!) I really wish I’d taught him how to use an indoor toilet when he was a pup — then all this would be moot, ha!

      • Since you already have boots for Monkey, I wonder if you might try having Monkey wear the boots inside the house first. It will take many tryouts and a ton of patience. But you wouldn’t have to become a popsicle yourself.

        My feet and lower legs feel frozen. I know that they are not. And my home is 70 degrees.

        Monkey’s hair is wonderful! I would stick my feet underneath his belly to keep me warm!

        • I do believe practice with the booties would be helpful … for both of us! So far, he doesn’t seem to be bothered by the cold, but when mud season approaches, why those boots would help Mama out a bunch! I find that layering my clothes helps a lot, as well as moving around more. Sitting in a sunny window is good for my mood, too!

        • My feet and legs feel so cold most likely because of my congestion heart failure and the blood thinner to treat it. I know for a fact that none of my body is frozen.

          My pipes aren’t frozen and my power is still on. That’s what is most important. 🤞

        • My mom is cold like that and just can’t get warm in this weather, so I understand, TD. Like I tell her, just keep adding layers. At least the power is on and the pipes aren’t frozen.

  12. Loved this – both the form and the content! So true – winter gives us time for all those things we’ve been putting off, but somehow having a little nap seems more important! 😀

  13. lol! Love this. It’s what I’m doing these days. Hibernating, procrastinating, cogitating, and maybe even some ruminating while I abdicate (my duties). 😀

    • This is the perfect time of year for it, Robin! When it’s sunny and warm outside, I itch to get outdoors and do something. Practically anything. But these frigid temps and gray skies make me want to shelter indoors, usually curled up with a good book, ha!

    • Kids can make hibernating harder, that’s for sure. So can dogs! However, it’s somewhat easier to teach kids to entertain themselves than it is to teach a puppy!

      • I used to go out thrift shopping 3x a week to get excersise. But I’ve been having extreme dizziness attacks while out so I don’t go out much anymore. Daily I have episode of weakness from 10am to 1-2 pm. So I’m in the bed half a day and then limited energy.

        I’m also turning into a caretaker again for my husband. Before it was for my dad. It’s just a loney place for me right now. I’m trying to get use to my new normal. I’ve tried to start my 3rd and final book, but I can’t concentrate right now.

        I can still do house chores so I feeled very blessed. Enough venting. I only have 2 wordpress friends left since I stopped writing. One is you! Thanks for still being my friend! For years now…wow!

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