I luv the month of January. Many people complain it's such a loooong, dreary month to get through after the celebrations and festivities of the just past holidays.
Say what? January is a long month? It could contain sixty-two days rather than thirty-one and I would jump for joy.
Each year after our extremely busy summer season, I'm always glad to see harvest time and autumn arrive mostly because it signals that the winter months are getting closer. Winter is the time I can look forward to more down time for personal pursuits than at any other time of the year.
But. Before my month of January arrives, we have to get through (dum-dah-dum-dum!) The Holidays.
Thanksgiving, Christmas and then the day or two celebrating the New Year. Not to say there aren't a lot of warm, wonderful feelings surrounding those holidays that begin at the end of November and go all the way to the start of January, but let's face it. Doesn't most of the planning, preparation and w.o.r.k. associated with the holiday season fall to the female(s) of the household? Yep, it sure does. And it all makes me tired.
What I'm trying to say is that my winter of content doesn't start until the holidays are over and we turn our calendars to the first month of the new year.
Rosemary Beck (Content in a Cottage) wrote of her feelings regarding January:
"January is my absolute favorite month of the whole year. The holidays are behind me and there is nothing pressing before me. Perfect for nesting and doing self-indulgent things like watching movies, reading books, knitting, sprucing up my blog, or anything fun."
Amen, Rosemary!
So not it's your turn. Do you treasure this month of January for reasons of your own or would you rather just give it a boot in the butt, skip it and be that much closer to spring? My inquiring mind wants to know.
YES, Mama Pea! I sometimes think that if it weren't for us women, there'd be no holiday celebrations. We plan, we decorate, we cook. Not to say that Hubby doesn't help, but I instigate the start of all the things that need doing for holiday celebrations. I swear, if it was left to the men, it would be a haphazard, last minute thing. Yes. Loving January. I have two knitting projects on the go, one crochet project..and...I even dug out an unfinished cross-stitch....that was your influence!!!! And, the days are starting to lengthen. Lots of time to draw and redraw the garden plans.
ReplyDeleteThrow in my birthday on Dec. 3 and my daughters on the 15th! Thanksgiving to new years was crazy! I'm hoping for snow and just chilling..................
ReplyDeleteI enjoy January as a refreshing, clean, cold month of rest and rejuvination. Time does not begin to get long until February when I am rested and ready to go. And March is usually dreary mud torture.
ReplyDeleteRosalea - Don't get me wrong. In a good marriage, husbands do A LOT and as far as I'm concerned, most of us couldn't do all WE do without them doing their part. But as far as holidays or special occasions go, it's not a holiday or relaxed time for women. Hooray for your handwork plans for this month! And it is the perfect time to get those garden plans in place. Gotta do that!
ReplyDeleteNancy - Oh, dear. I'm now counting myself lucky that we don't have any birthdays, anniversaries, etc. thrown into that time period as you do! Next time I find myself with a wee little glass of wine, I'll think of you and toast a lovely snowfall and "just chilling!"
My perfect months are January, February and even March. My sister and I took over the holidays almost 40 years ago from our parents and we're still doing them. "Young-uns" don't cook (yeah!), house isn't big enough, etc., etc. / excuses and more. If we didn't, I doubt there would be any family get-togethers. The non-stop work is getting to be a bit too much. At least we didn't have to set the table or do dishes afterwards, but otherwise no help. Sorry, too much whine, time to hit the wine! Dee
ReplyDeleteWe have a couple December birthdays here, too (DS and MIL). I don't have hard OR special feelings towards January; I prefer winter over summer so I'm glad it's not hot. But the weight of taxes (personal and Rick's corporate) start weighing on me in January and that's a major bummer....
ReplyDeleteAHHH! YOU are my peoples. I luv Winter and January! My own dismay at the warmer months is not tied to a garden and the extra work, but I am just a person who loves the cold. And as for the “holiday months” .... well I have blogged about those being hard for me. I have sustained a lot of losses - all around Christmas - in fact within a day or two of Christmas. So I have checked out long ago in all the hub bub because I am not in a cherry mood and you are correct ... the work of those holidays does fall on the woman. So I say - WELCOME JANUARY. You are my very bestie for the year!!
ReplyDeleteSmartAlex - I'm with you all the way on saying March is "mud torture!" Unfortunately, way up here in the north woods, we even experience April mud torture! ;o)
ReplyDeleteDee - I hear you and agree with you. You're not whining; just stating the truth! Is there a way of changing the situation? If you find it, please let me know! :o)
Michelle - Yep, we get hit with more big bills than we would wish for in January, too. A totally unfair way to start the new year!
Retired Knitter - Anyone who has lost loved ones around the holidays has my sincere sympathy. The first Christmas after my dad died, we had mom and my brother and his family come up here for the holiday. I remember it as a subdued time, especially hard for Mom. I understand your continued inability to breeze through the holidays without the difficult memories popping up. As for your love of January (and winter time), I'm glad to include you in our little group!
January is a busy month for us/me. Three birthdays and anniversary of deaths of my two sons ( all a week apart from next one). February is a peaceful winter month, but March... somehow half of my family is born on March, two of my on children, my sister and his spouse, my two cousins, several distant cousins, children of my cousins and distant cousins. Lunacy, I say. Or Midsummer, it's 9 months before March...
ReplyDeleteAnd of course spring preparations needs to be done in March. I like February.
Ulvmor - Oh, my goodness! No wonder you prefer February which is sandwiched in between your months of January and March. My sincere sympathy to you thinking of the deaths of your two sons. So very sad.
ReplyDeleteNow that I don't work outside the home anymore, I enjoy January. Before this, it was one of the busiest times of the year for me. I am using it to purge and sort and start a few new projects.
ReplyDeleteGlad you love this time..enjoy every moment of it. xo Diana
NanaDiana - You make a good point that I hadn't considered. Yes, I can imagine how one's whole feeling about a certain month (January in this instance) could be impacted by one's occupation! Now you're enjoying it and jumping into all kinds of good things which really feels good, doesn't it? :o)
ReplyDeleteYes, it's always the women who make the time from Thanksgiving through Christmas meaningful. Most of us work tirelessly to make it wonderful for everyone around us. I realize there are a few (very small percentage) men who take charge.
ReplyDeleteThat is why three years ago, I told my husband...I am done. I got rid of everything pertaining to Christmas (the tree and all manner of decorations, lights, baubles and bulbs and even the annual mailing of cards). The true meaning of Christmas was lost long ago in this nation and has become totally commercialized, narcassitic and pagan to the core.
Neither of us has missed any of it and I especially feel freed from the burden of "playing it out". January to me is resting and waiting for newness two months out.
I love January too! I'm still canning but at a much slower pace. I have two only two birthdays in the month, but both are past now. For now until February is usually nothing to do but decompress. Not this year unfortunately. My body and doctors have other ideas. :o(
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - I gotta say I admire you very much for the way you've chosen to handle the holidays. At the same time, I don't know if I could do it. But, gosh, what a lot of work and stress that would eliminate. (Waffle, waffle, waffle.) Is there anyone else in your family who has taken over the task of "keeping the family together" by still doing the traditional gatherings?
ReplyDeleteCockeyed Jo - Well, at least you have these couple of months now that aren't as crowded with "must do" tasks to get what needs to be taken care of taken care of. Hoping all goes exceedingly well for you, Jo.
When I was younger, I felt the need to remain closeted. Now, as an old goat, I no longer feel that way. I don't like early mornings, I don't like summer heat, I don't like being in crowds of people and I do very much like winter. So there people; go blow it out your pipe if you don't like it! I've stopped apologizing and being quiet.
ReplyDeleteI don't like winter's bill either, but I've learned how to deal with it.
Now I'll go back to building a wood fire in my shop and doing something fun. I've recently started learning how to sew on old antique leather sewing machines - and I don't care who knows it. Mark me down as 'out of the closet.'
Cheers
Tim B. Inman - Cheers back at 'cha for being your authentic self! As long as our behavior doesn't impinge on the rights of or hurt others, I give anyone who can reach a stage of life (old goat or not) and be happy sewing in front of a wood fire a lot of credit. ;o)
ReplyDeleteP.S. I don't like being in crowds of people either.
Big fan of January here. I love snow, for one thing. But it's the coziness of the month--the nesting, as you say. I get to little jobs that I didn't have time for. After taking down decorations I find that I make changes to the decor we had before. I read, cook more, and just enjoy the slower pace. Life will get busy soon enough.
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