That Winter Weather

I have a song stuck in my head this morning (I am prone to earworms!) thanks to the unseasonable cold that has descended on my part of the world:

"I love that winter weather,
so the two of us can get together.
There's nothing sweeter.....finer
when it's nice and cold,
I can hold
my baby closer to me
and collect the kisses that are due me.
I love that winter weather
'Cause I've got my love to keep me warm!"

My apologies to the the singer, I was too lazy to go check out who to attribute this to. A few years back this was on the holiday CD that we played at work. So now it's spinning endlessly in my head, and probably will be for the rest of the day. Oh well. At least I like the song!

We really have had some serious cold weather for early December. It has been well below freezing for several nights now. A couple of those nights got down into the teens. When I took Ginger out for a walk yesterday the wind was up from the east and it felt like ice against my face. Between the bitter cold and the long nights, I am finding that all I want to do is crawl under the covers of my warm bed and sleep for long hours. I've been falling asleep early and staying asleep 10 hours or more every night. I am dreaming more (or remembering my dreams more) and I wake up groggy, which is unusual for me. I suppose it's an inborn urge to semi-hibernate.

We are in the middle of the advent season after all, the season of waiting for the light to slowly return. The time to gather around the hearth, to tell stories and dream. The time to draw closer to those we love, and to wait for the light together. And to bring some of our inner light into the world.

Yesterday morning I saw some squirrels out in the bitter cold, digging in the ground looking for food stashed away and not having much luck. I felt bad for the little guys, so when I went to the grocery store later in the day I picked up a big bag of roasted unsalted peanuts. Before dark I went out and scattered them in the backyard. This morning I peeked out as soon as I woke up, and three squirrels were having themselves a feast! It gave me a warm glow to make life easier for them this time of year, even if they are just common neighborhood squirrels.

I also bought a box of food for our local food bank at the grocery store yesterday (they are a donation site with premade boxes for $5) and I have been trying since thanksgiving to buy a box each time I do our household shopping. It's a small thing to do when we have so much, but small things added together can do great things!

How do you share your inner light with the world this time of year? Does the winter weather inspire you to bring warmth to others?