Oh, January. I’m so sorry to say this out loud to you, but . . . well. You are my least favorite month of all the months in the year. Sure . . . February is certainly in the thick of things, a close second when it comes to least favorite month honors. But February is shorter. And, thus, has that as an advantage.
But look, January! Here you are. Nearly half-over already!
And that means it’s time for me to offer this R-E-P-O-R-T.
At mid-month I’m . . .
R . . . obin-sighting.
It’s really cold here again. And snowing quite a lot. (Lake effect. . . ) So I really wasn’t expecting to see a huge flock of robins visiting my garden yesterday. (Like . . . I’m talking an unnervingly huge flock of robins. Freaky-huge.) But there they were, hanging out in my hawthorn tree, which is still filled with berries. Berries that, I can only guess, will help sustain these hungry robins as they manage a winter in Michigan. (Apparently many robins remain here through the winter now. They gather in huge flocks and look for trees that still have fruits. Like my hawthorn.) (Did you know that the robin is the state bird of Michigan?)
E . . . mbracing.
Winter. As in . . . I’m trying to embrace it with an attitude adjustment. As you may remember, I’m a summer girl. Not a huge fan of winter, although I can deal with it during December, January, and February. And especially if it snows. (I do like snow.) Once it’s March, though . . . the party needs to be over. (The problem is . . . often it’s not.) After several mild winters in a row, this winter seems to be a “real winter,” and I’m working hard to just let it be . . . and let it snow.
P . . . unching.
As in punching up my protein intake in a serious way. Older bodies need extra protein to build and preserve muscle mass, so I’m working hard to make sure I get plenty of protein with every meal. Which is a challenge for me after years of a nearly-vegetarian diet. But protein is important, and I’m committed!
O . . . rdering.
Yarn. Yeah. I said I was finished buying yarn. And I should be (because I have enough) . . . but I’m going to knit Tom another sweater, and I don’t have enough of any appropriate yarn in my stash for a man-sized sweater. So I ordered some of this (in that very color) to make this.
R . . . elishing.
After all these years of saying I was going to get new living room furniture . . . I finally did get new living room furniture. And I’m really happy with it (and so is JoJo, as you can see). Some things are worth the wait. (But I also did really drag out the process. And I needn’t have.)
T . . . oggling.
Last year, I was feeling pretty bogged down with my workout routine. Bored . . . and not terribly inspired. I gave myself a little break over the holidays, and now I’m mixing things up in new ways. I guess you could say I’m . . . toggling between different types of activities and workouts and it’s feeling good again. (Next thing you know, I’ll be trying pickleball or something. . . )
And that’s where I am . . . here at mid-month.
How about YOU?
I remember my first winter in Pittsburgh, where robins don’t migrate for the winter. I was stunned to see this ginormous flock in the tree by our porch. I did some research on what I thought was the strangest behavior, and I discovered that not all robins migrate and they flock together in the winter for safety. Once I learned this, I found a seed mix that had a healthy dose of dried berries in it and we no longer prune the two bushes that get berries all over them… just for those hearty robins!
Like you, I need to punch up the protein as well… a challenge when you think about it, especially if one is trying to punch up fiber at the same time, lol. But I have found eggs to be my easiest way to add protein to my diet.
I am reminding myself daily that the earth is rejoicing in this winter season that is actually wintery! (add a pup who thinks the snow is there just for him… and well, I am finding joy in these decidedly winter days!)
Despite being winter, it sounds like things are pretty good in your world! I’d love to see a bunch of robins, but we have a couple of red-tailed hawks that seem to hang out in our oak trees and they have seriously curtailed the bird population. Would you like to come do a living room furniture consult for me? We really need new furniture and yours looks great!
I am enjoying our mild – so far – winter, which makes those daily walks much nicer. Making a lot of soup, knitting cozy sweaters, reading with tea on the side, and dreaming of travel.
We had a freaky-huge flock of turkey vultures circling our area around the first of the year. Like, 75+ of them! Relieved they seem to have split up. Glad you are finding some ways to enjoy January!
Spending January looking for a mountain home after selling our build just to get our from under it.
Enjoying our birds down here. The sandhill cranes are arriving in droves and their cry is one of my favorite sounds. You’d never think so if you heard it alone (listen here– https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/28803581 –) , but when it signals cooler weather here in NCFlorida, I’ll take it!
ahhh… January. Love that you saw a whole swarm of robins – and that your yard and garden offer them food. and that saddle shoulder sweater is so handsome! the sweater I’m testing for Heidi has a saddle shoulder and it’s a very fun way to knit a sweater that seems to flatter everyone.
Robin is the state bird of Wisconsin, too! I haven’t seen a huge flock in winter, but I know that some of them stay around (as do some Canada geese).
Ah January. My sister and I both have birthdays this month, so I don’t mind it SO much.
That sweater is going to be beautiful – I love the color! It will be a lot of stockinette though. And your furniture is great! I love the pattern on the backs of the chairs and how all the curves in the room echo each other.
Well, there is a lot in this post Kym. First of all, LOVE the way your living room looks – congrats on the new furniture. And saddle shoulders are so flattering I think. Love the color you’ve chosen for Tom’s sweater (not brown – yay!! lol). Like Kat, I learned that (at least around here) Robins do not migrate. They move into the woods during winter (shelter and maybe more food??). We have seen some in our yard (one particularly fat one the other day). Finally…remember there can be a lot of protein in vegetarian diets. We are not vegetarian, but I don’t’ mind several days with no meat or fish. Rice plus beans equals protein! I need to get (back) on the working-out track or something…I am continuing to be fairly lazy this January. Though enjoyable, sitting to read, knit or stitch is not being very active.
This is a very encouraging post, Kym! I also dislike January very much, but I really dislike cold weather, so I tell myself every year to just get over it. Embracing is a much better phrase. It has been bitterly cold here, and we got 8 inches of snow last week. WTH? The weather has been very labile this year. I have plenty of birds, and in spite of the hawks, I have lots of visitors to my feeders. I love your new furniture! I am doing the same in my great room, but it is slow going. I love the sweater you are going to knit. I have grown to appreciate classic sweaters a lot in my old age. Tom will be warm as toast! Also trying to get back on the workout train, but I am struggling a bit. If you have protein ideas, please share them. I am trying to up my protein intake, and I feel better when I do, but since John died, it is hard to think up high protein foods in small quantities that I am willing to cook.
I’m with you on your feelings about January. We do have some snow on the ground here from a little bit that we got last weekend and we me get just a small amount this weekend, too. At least it’s pretty but dang it’s cold, too. The state bird of MA is the chickadee, just thought I’d share that little tidbit. I like that sweater you’ve chosen for Tom, I think Dale would like it, too. Hmmm.
Your living room looks terrific. The yarn looks quite handsome. I think Wool and Co. is the best mail order source for yarn. Their customer service is good. I have no business ordering yarn but when I need something specific for a particular project ( ahem) I order from Wool and Co. Your photos are beautiful. I love the winter landscapes you shared. Sometimes the robins stay around here and sometimes not. I have seen a few while walking. How nice for you to see a large flock. Even though it’s January, the robin reminds me of Spring.
Your living room looks great! We’ve been spoiled by a few years with mild winters, but I keep reminding myself that the snow and cold are good things at this time of year!
January is my least favorite as well (February is shorter and has chocolate!). And I’m definitely over it after we’ve had yet more snow today. I would like to be walking outside but don’t want to risk getting re-injured because certain people in my neighborhood can’t be bothered to clear off their sidewalks! So I am feeling thankful for YouTube workouts these days. I hope that if you’re trying some new recipes to get more protein in, you’ll share; I’m trying to eat less meat but also make sure I get enough protein, and there’s only so much tofu and chickpeas I can eat. I hope you keep seeing robins (in less unnerving numbers) and enjoying that new furniture. January can’t last forever!
Love that living room! Everything needs a refresh around here right now. I’m enjoying pickleball…not so much all of the people (it’s only pickleball folks!) but the game is fun. I’m struggling with regular weight workouts though…does moving 1000 lbs of cheese once a week count? 😉 Here’s to the rest of January flying by!
As you know, I’m one of those freaks who loves winter. I appreciate though that you are trying to deal with it – that’s like me with the summer, though it’s harder for me to cool off than it is to warm up.
Your new furniture should definitely be a pick-me-up – I love things that in their way are small, but make such a big difference. And pup-approved furniture is the best!