Winter Woes and Survival Tips.

Full disclosure...I'm an island girl. I love the water, waves, flowers and heat of my raising. Cue Jimmy Buffett...or Kalapana...for those in the know.

Though I've lived in Tennessee more than half my life, I'm not a fan of winter. Long about September, when everyone is loving fall and going all pumpkin crazy, I cannot shake the dread of what comes next. Winter is dark, grey, drizzly, cold, and worst of all, my garden goes to sleep.

I've had to develop some survival strategies and though they don't take away the dread completely, they do help...a little. So, in no particular order, or maybe they're exactly in order (order is not my thing) here they are.

1. String lights...I love them. Twinkly lights just make me happy and while we're on the subject, throw in candles and a cozy fire. Oh, and I like to keep every lamp in the house turned on 24/7, obviously. The more the merrier. Outdoorman has remarked on occasion that we could land a plane in the backyard with all our runway lights. You're welcome.

2. Bring the outside in. I love plants and flowers, but find indoor plants quite challenging. (I think it's something about forgetting to care for them.) But bulbs? Easy peasy. Give them a try. I find them at Lowe's in November.

I love birds but wouldn't dream of caging one. Here's a fake one so I can pretend.

3. Cook. It has a couple of benefits. Firing up the stove makes me and the kitchen warmer and makes Outdoorman super happy. The way to his heart definitely goes through his stomach.

Chili is a no brainer for cold nights and stir fry is comfort food for sure.

These coping mechanisms only go so far, though. For example, not much can fix the annoyance of today being mid-March and there's a snowflake on tomorrow's weather forecast.