What kind of activities do you get involved in winter?

I know you have probably discussed this before but I am relatively new here, so be patient with me, what kinds of activities do you all get involved with during the winter months when the garden slows up? I know some of you
Southern Californians and Floridians probably don't have much of down season, so how do you keep your interest going? I look forward to a different season and a few different activities.

I go to the pub

*hic*

Wintermoor

Spend more time on Dave's!! I also start making stained glass goodies for Christmas presents. Just generally hibernate.

I usually make a good bit of Christmas. Then there's the seed catalogs, which come earlier and earlier each year. This year, I'll be getting ready for an exhibit of photos and photo prints at the county arts council and I have a manuscript in need of a publisher. I also watch my grandchildren when they aren't in school and their parents are and I pop into Dave's 3 or 4 times aday, really , only that much! Gosh, that sounds like way more than it feels like.

I read a lot in the winter and do needlepoint or counted cross stitch projects. After it snows I love to go on long walks, it's so quiet and beautiful. And bake, it's so nice not to worry about heating the house. I love to make cookies on cold days. GEE- maybe I'm not dreading winter so bad after all. Thanks for asking, I feel better about it now.
Jacquie

Ha! I bake the Christmas goodies in advance and prepare pastry for freezing if I'm organized. Make dry flower arrangements and pressed flower pictures. Go through my hundreds of old English garden magazines, sketch landscaping plans. Decide which plants need to be moved. Go for walks and collect pods, seeds, cones etc. Visit junk and antique shops. Well naturally, I spend more time on DG too!! Sheesh, I'm exhausted!!

Dream, contemplate and sow lots of seeds.

I sew, do cross stitch, crochet, do research. Love to bake in the cold months..........plenty of fresh bread and rolls!! I love a crisp cold day as long as it's not a norther that rips right through you. And like any old good bear, I like my nap!!!!

"eyes"

I am lucky, I get to garden 'round and dream of doing crafts..heh heh.(ducking flower pots being hurled my way)

Read, cook, play on my puter, swim (inside), spend time with family, shop and walk at the malls, stay pretty busy really.I really don't mind winter until February...then its PLEEEEEESE hurry back spring.
Meems

I love to read, work on my scrapbooks, and I do a lot of that in the winter. We also have a boy who is an avid sports participant, so we go from football to basketball to golf.

This winter we are probably going to be spending every spare minute trying to finish the house while we live in it. We are going to be homeless the first of October, and are trying to get as much done as possible before the mobil home disappears.

Sounds like you all keep busy. Louisa, I love to bake Christmas cookies, all kinds. Maybe we will start a new thread later in recipes sharing Christmas cookie recipes. I also love to do cross stitch, not the counted kind variety, just plain old stamped. Our youngest is still in a private independent school so I do spend some energy there. And seed catalogs are great to drool over and plan as many of you have said. Thanks for sharing!!

Joann,
Yes, I can work in my garden all year long...BAM..that flower pot almost hit me too Lisa...

But I do keep myself busy with too many other projects also. I love to refinish wood items (working on my TV unit right now, faux finish walls/or just paint walls (I even paint friends and relatives walls), read, and of course I play on the puter alot more. I used to do alot of sewing too, but not much into that anymore. Right now I am sewing some Valances for my Dads house. The only thing I don't do is crosstitching, but I used to love to embroider (wish that was still the in thing). Since I have a new grandson, I might even be spending my time with him alot more.

So in between keeping the yard weed free and all that other stuff....BAM...spring is here and the planting resumes. Wow, now that all made me tired, can I take a rest now.

Donna

You'll be surprised at how the activity at DG will increase as the weather gets worse...summers are slow here at the website 'cause we're all outside. If we can't get outside..the next best thing is talking about what we're planning to do.....and warming up the tar pot for folks like Lisa who enjoy outside gardening year round. Sorry Lisa...just couldn't resist.You can get back at me by telling us how nice it is down there in Jan!

I would have to say my winter projects are almost exactly like "eyes". Good minds must think alike - LOL...

I read, do research, take care of my 89 year old Mom and her house, cook meals for my DH, play with my teacup poodle, feed the farm critters, break ice for farm critters, dream in the seed catalogs, plan for summer projects for the two plant societies that I belong to, and dream of the time when my yard is under some sort of control since it has only been three years since we bought this fixer-upper of ours. Lani

Apart from reading seed catalogues and planning the next years planting, I weave and learn Welsh on the internet. I also find a good way of respondng to the cold weather is to bake bread or curl up with a good book

My family has to live with my loom in the living room and the boom banging of me beating the weft; they also have to put up with me practising my Welsh on them - my Dave's garden name is actually a Welsh word so I link my winter activity and my gardening!

Most of this is after Christmas as before Christmas I'm busy making presents, mincemeat, Chistmas puddings and cakes and Stollen.

And of course, in between all this there is work ......

Lenjo: My DH and I love winter so we spend as much time as possible out playing in the snow. We have snowmobiles and I try to cross country ski when possible. Free time for us is limited since we both work full time. "T" :)

Sledder, we so rarely get snow in this valley where I live. We would love it a little more often.

Winter seems just about endless here because I am longing for dirt to dig in. The ground is frozen by Thanksgiving. I got some cross country skis last year and will continue to learn how to fall down this winter. Every day there are horses to feed so that is exercise too. I spend quite a bit of time at the library, reading, planning and dreaming there as well as at home about spring projects. My endurance horses need an occasional ride in the winter so I try to find a good day now and then to do that even if we are out there in a foot or more of snow it is nice if the wind isn't blowing. In March I start working for my neighbor during his lambing time, so March goes faster, and by then I am riding more. April is seed starting time in pots under lights in the basement, some years I can plant things outside in April, other years I just clean flower beds and make new ones. I include April in winter since we have been known to have a mid April blizzard with a foot of snow. April is also the start of my endurance riding competitions, and then after that I get so busy it is hard to find time to get it all done.

I whine about how cold it is outside. You all remind me of how hot and dry it was this summer when I do this.

Actually the only slow months are usually mid October through December as we start lambing in January and calving in February. I do more baking and reading during the winter.

i use to go to wrestling!!! sniff sniff!! But i dont think rory will be wrestling this year it cuts into his eating! lol
So this winter is open!!! Read catalogs n set on the warm register waiting for spring!!!sigh

****oh yeah we have a granddaughter due dec 7th-so i will have that to keep me busy too!!!!*********

This message was edited Tuesday, Aug 20th 8:31 AM

Oh,Jewel , you are sweet and so honest. Because I know we will certainly whine about all the rain we see here.Joann