I just need to write something happy
Cozy, happy things that are helping me get through the winter (and a few complaints about it)
Hello, friends!
I took a bit of a break from writing for the first two weeks of January.
I really really don’t like January. It’s just never a fun month for me. I’m cold, frustrated, and sad because of the lack of sunlight and I can’t be out in nature much. There is just nothing fun about January. I would really like to not have to dress up like an eskimo every time I take my dog out for a potty walk. In the midwestern US, we currently have about a foot of snow and the temperature has been ranging from 1 to 20 degrees lately. I’ve been a grumpy bear about it.
I must have been spoiled by the past several years when we’ve had minimal snow, because all of a sudden winter is actually *wintering* and I’m just not happy about it. My body was not made for this weather. Thankfully, somehow I’ve managed to evade the sickness that everyone and their mother always seems to come down with this time of year. I suspect it’s due to the CO-Q10 I’ve been taking now daily for several months…. because that’s the only thing I’ve done differently this year!
Whether I want it to or not, January always ends up being a time of reset, pruning and refinement for me. So while I’ve been wrestling with some heavy thoughts and feelings and have SO much to say, and so many half-written posts in my drafts right now, I don’t feel quite ready to finish writing any of them yet. I need to write something fun. Something happy and light.
Now that I’ve thoroughly complained about how my experience of January has been, how is winter treating all of you? Any other highly sensitives out there who really hate this time of year? Just me?
Okay now let’s get to the fun stuff. I wanted to share some of the things that have brought me comfort, joy, encouragement, or just a bit of happiness lately. Because frankly, I think we could all use it right now.
My dog, Rapha, thoroughly enjoys the snow. This is his second winter, so he saw snow for the first time last year, but there wasn’t very much of it. So it feels like this is his first real winter, and he’s loving it. The fact that he enjoys the snow so much takes away a little of my disdain for it. I love seeing him roll around and frolic in the snow!
He makes me giggle. He just doesn’t understand the concept of personal space. Sometimes it’s slightly annoying, but most of the time it’s endearing. He’s the sweetest dog ever, and he definitely brings joy and fun to my days!
He makes messes sometimes…
But he really likes to snuggle, which makes it all worth it. And his cuteness prevents me from being mad at him for too long!
Some things I’ve been loving lately:
I’ve recently switched out my daily morning oatmeal with “Noatmeal” (basically keto oatmeal). It’s a healthier, more filling option that has NO oats. I didn’t realize oatmeal was spiking my blood sugar and making me more hungry later in the day. I found a great, simple recipe for this “noatmeal” here. There are many variations, but I’m currently mixing hemp seeds, chia seeds, slivered almonds, berries, flax seed meal, cinnamon and honey together and it’s delicious. I’m so glad I found it! I’m not hungry for lunch as early as I was before. I will continue to search out practical and manageable steps to living healthier as a whole person and share what I find. I would love to hear what you’re doing to get healthier in this new year!
A friend recently recommended the First Nations Version of the Bible to me, to help me receive it in a fresh way. I’ve started in the New Testament and am currently in the middle of Matthew. I’ve been LOVING connecting with the story of the Gospel in a totally different way. It feels like listening to an enchanting, poetic legend. (Although of course, it’s even better because the story is true!) I’ve been listening to it on Audible.
Many of you know that I listen to the Bema podcast, as I’ve mentioned it in a few of my notes and posts. Right alongside that, I listened to this sermon the other day from my friend’s church in Indiana. I’ve listened to Pastor Josh Sousa before, and he’s wonderful. He’s a pastor who preaches in an emotionally intelligent, trauma-informed way, which I appreciate SO much. I find certain preaching styles to be slightly triggering, but his sermons never trigger me. His sermons feel gentle and safe. He talks about the story in Genesis 3. It’s about the fall of man and how God makes Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden. If you have had confusion or questions about this story in the past, please do yourself a favor and take a listen. It clears up a lot of misconceptions. He preaches straight truth in a real, down-to-earth way, and it’s filled with compassion.
Surprisingly, there are several really interesting, free documentaries on YouTube. One that I’ve watched recently is “Sensitive: the Untold Story.” It’s about highly sensitive people (and animals) and how high sensitivity is actually a neurobiological trait, not a personality type. It’s eye-opening and informative, especially if you are an HSP (highly sensitive person), or you know one in your family or community. It will help you have compassion and understanding for those of us who just can’t tolerate as much stimulation as the rest of the world. (About 20% of people in the world have this highly sensitive trait!) And if you’re not sure if you’re an HSP, this may help you determine whether or not you are. Check it out!
Songs I’ve been enjoying lately:
This morning my phone randomly woke me up to this song playing on Spotify, and it wasn’t connected to my alarm. It’s called “Best Days” by Sarah Reeves. I had to laugh because I woke up grumpy, so it felt like Holy Spirit was waking me up with a happy (and slightly annoying) reminder that my best days really are ahead of me, and this season is only temporary.
Since I’ve been in a season of life where I’ve been forced to stand up for myself and detach from what people may think or want from me, I often play this one when I need to belt out a power song and release some angry energy! (It’s not really an angry song, but it helps me.)
Okay, so my middle brother and I are kind of movie soundtrack nerds. (Well, actually mostly he is the soundtrack nerd. I mostly just listen to what he sends me, and occasionally listen to a good Hans Zimmer playlist.) My brother sent me this one from the movie “Mary, Queen of Scots”, which I haven’t even seen. But the soundtrack is stunning! When I listened to it, I was at the gym working out, and I literally had to stop what I was doing on the machine and stare off into space for a few seconds because I was so moved by what I was hearing. If I hadn’t been in the gym, I probably would have cried. (Can you tell I’m an HSP and a deep feeler?!) This song sounds like eternity. It sounds like death and resurrection, like the unseen, unshakeable hope that’s always been holding everything together. Take a listen, and let me know what you hear!
Natalie Layne has a fun, spunky vibe. This one especially I love listening to when I need a shot of joy and hope!
Here’s a few other cozy ways I’ve been leaning into joy and comfort where I can.
I’ve been doing ionic detox baths for my feet a couple of times a week, and it has been suuuuuper relaxing. I highly recommend doing it at night before you go to bed! I can definitely feel it pulling junk out of my body, and it feels gentle, not painful. Check this one out- it’s really similar to the one I have, and it’s currently on sale!
As you probably know, I love being out in nature, and it’s really sad when I can’t be. Since the warm weather and much of our sunlight are gone right now, as well as pretty much everything green, I’ve been holding on to this one sweet echo of Spring: birdsong! It feels extra sweet to stop and take a minute to listen to the birds in the morning when I take my dog out. It provides a little glimmer for me on otherwise hard, sleepy, uncomfortable, cold mornings. My mom also has an in-window bird feeder in the living room (like this one!). It’s sweet to connect with nature in this tiny way when we can’t spend much time outdoors.
And when I can’t connect with nature, I often sit and enjoy watching soothing nature videos like this and this. It’s become a practice I often return to when I need to be still, get present and grounded, and settle my soul.
When I need something a little more engaging than nature videos, but something that is still peaceful and not overly stimulating, I love watching these vlogs on slow, simple living and mindfulness: The Cottage Fairy & Poetry of Slow Life. They are both SO refreshing and life giving to my soul.
For extra cozy, comfortable sleep: my magic keys are a heavy weighted blanket, a grounding mat, earplugs and a face mask. I sleep SO much better now that I’m regularly using these. And if you know me at all… you know I love my sleep.
Check out your local Little Free Library for some potentially awesome (and free) book selections! It’s a non-profit organization that has over 175,000 little libraries all over the US. I discovered these last year, and turned it into a fun adventure driving around my area to all the local Little Free Libraries to donate books I didn’t need anymore, and to take any free books that I liked! The ones near me mostly have children’s books and adult novels. There have been a few good non-fiction books as well. The website has a listing of all of the locations and addresses, so you can find one near you!
Speaking of good books, something new I’m trying is reading fun, light Christmas novels in January & February. Something about it feels more enjoyable since Christmas is over and it’s not the traditional time for reading Christmas novels. I think it’s because I don’t feel the pressure to cram them all in in December. (Or maybe it’s just that subtle rebel in me that enjoys being different from everyone else, like a typical enneagram 4.) I recently enjoyed Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber which I got from a Little Free Library! Reading lighter, fun books this month also helps to balance out the dark, sad feelings and the spiritually heavy stuff I often wrestle through.
Here is a podcast I recently enjoyed. Seriously, Jonathan and Melissa are such precious people with a store of rich wisdom. Jonathan David & Melissa Helser podcast: The Gift of Sadness, Nostalgia, and Practices for Winter Seasons.
I would love to read in the comments what YOU are reading, listening to or doing to help your soul and body thrive this winter!
I truly hope that this newsletter brings you some value, comfort, and some inspiring ideas to lift your spirits this winter. I also want to let you know that in the near future, I plan to put out at least two free posts a month on the same topics I usually write about. The third monthly post will be paywalled. The paywalled posts will go a bit deeper into things the Lord is teaching me, as well as my personal story and journey of transformation. I want to be a resource and encouragement to you, to help bring healing and refreshment into your life!
I just hit 200 subscribers this week, and I thank every single one of you for considering my words meaningful and worth reading. It deeply blesses me to be able to pour out in words what Abba is doing in my soul, and know that people are actually reading and being impacted by them.
Thank you for being on the journey with me!
Love,
Alexandria
🙋🏻♀️ Fellow winter-despiser (only cause hater seemed too strong to type). Fellow dog-lover (mine is my free therapy). And fellow lover of Jesus and words and sunshine. Why yes, I’ll subscribe. 😉
I have to admit I looooove winter. I know that's not exactly helpful lol. But there's something about the cold air that I found bracing, and the ability to live life in a permanent state of sweatshirts and slippers just feels so cozy. But here are some of my favorite wintertime activities. Maybe some of these will help?
1. Making big pots of stew. I have 5-6 soup/stew recipes that I basically LIVE off of in the winter. Most of them are relatively healthy and packed with veggies, and they all freeze really pretty well too. So I can make them in big batches, freeze my extras, and always have something warm and hearty and filling and nutritious on hand.
2. Cozy hobbies. I like to quilt - but it involves too much ironing to do it in the summer - I always get hot and sweaty and gross when I try. So instead I save it for the colder months, when the extra heat from the iron and the prospect of being draped in layers of fabric and batting is a plus rather than a minus lol. I also tend to do my other crafty projects (cross stitch, needlepoint, etc) in the winter too. Since we're all stuck inside anyway, I might as well do something productive and beautiful with my hands while one of the extended edition LOTR movies plays in the background (or the Pride and Prejudice miniseries ... )
3. Seeking out the arts. I don't know what kind of access you have to local theater, museums, or concerts. But January/February tend to be really dead times for most performance arts venues and museums. So it's a great time to take a field trip visit a nice museum you've never experienced before or see a show. A lot of times they have winter sales and discounts. But even if they don't, the reduced crowds make it so worthwhile.
4. If you're feeling productive you can always do some beginning-of-the-year adulting (like setting up your IRA or making that dentists appointment) to give yourself a nice push of productivity to start the year. Or if you're not feeling motivated you can do some intentional "grownup"ing instead - which is the exact opposite of adulting. It's when you pick a thing to do that the 6 year old version of you couldn't wait to do when she grew up - like calling out of work so that you can stay in bed and read all day, or treating yourself to your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant because it's Tuesday, or buying yourself flowers.
Anyway ... this has gone on long enough. I hope at least one of these is helpful.
If nothing else, get outside (or near a window) once or twice a week to watch the sunset - and enjoy the fact that it's happening a little later every day!