If New England is known for anything it is its winters. So Wickeds, do you embrace winter? Avoid it? What’s your favorite part of winter in New England? What’s your favorite activity?
Liz: I think you all know me well enough to know I strongly dislike winter. Being cold has never been my thing. As a kid, my parents took us skiing, and that didn’t work so well either. The last memory I have on the slopes is at 15. I sat in a pile of snow off the trail, one leg facing the wrong way, one ski on its own way down the mountain. The only thing winter is good for is long nights of writing, because it’s too darn cold to leave the house and do anything else!
Edith: I’m a native southern Californian, so I was imprinted with desert. But I love winter, even though I have poor circulation in my hands and feet. I discovered cross-country skiing in the early 80s and haven’t missed a season. Shoveling snow under a cerulean sky on a clear crisp post-storm morning when you’ve been housebound for a couple of days? Perfect. And then, as Liz says, winter is perfect for staying indoors and churning out word count as you watch flakes fall.
Jessie: When you are raised by New Englanders you experience a constant feeling of guilt if you don’t get outside and do something when the weather is good. Throughout the growing season reading, knitting, sleeping in are all undermined by a sense of squandered opportunities. But in winter, there is no taint to the enjoyment of indoor pursuits. So, I 
contentedly put dinner in the slow cooker and settle back to binge read Scandanavian crime novels.
Sherry: Skiing, snowboarding, ice skating…they aren’t for me. I love the occasional ride down a steep hill in a sled but other than that I much prefer sitting inside and watching snowflakes swirl by the window.
Julie: I am not a winter fan. Because I rely on the T, and have a bit of a walk to get to the stations, commuting is my winter sport. Seriously. I don’t like to propel my body on ice or snow, so most winter sports are out. Aside from the outdoor sport of getting my 10,000 steps a day (which doesn’t vary season to season), my other winter sports are drinking red wine, writing, binge watching shows on Netflix and Amazon, creating crock pot adventures, figuring out the best way to battle hat head, and exploring different ways of layering clothes that keep me warm in every environment.
Barb: My idea of winter activities–
Edith: Ya had to rub that in, didn’t you, Barb?
Readers:
Do you have a favorite winter activity?
My new favorite winter activity is looking at Facebook photos from frigid snowy New England, knowing I’m not there. But winter will have its revenge. I have to travel back several times in the next few months and I know what’s waiting for me.
Very funny! You and Barb…
Sitting by the fireplace reading!
I’m with you, Gram!
When I was 20 I decided to downhill ski as a way to get through the long upstate NY winters, and I loved it for many years. That transitioned to cross-country skiing, which I’d still do it if my body would cooperate. Now I walk outdoors every day unless the windchill drops below zero. Still, my favorite winter activity is watching those gorgeous snowflakes fall!
Since I have a dog and my yard isn’t fenced, I walk every day no matter what. But as the temperature drops so does the length of our walks!
I love winter! I love to shovel snow. I love to walk at night when it is snowing or after it is snowing. My favorite activity used to be watching my dog lose her mind as she ran through the snow. Now that she’s gone, that’s my favorite snow memory. I wish I didn’t live in the burbs, because I’d love to walk in snow shoes, but that seems kind of silly to do on a sidewalk.
I bet you have parks, golf courses, places you can go snowshoeing. It’s a lot of work for the thighs, though, just warning ya. But delightful!
Ramona, we all know too well your love of blizzards…so here’s wishing they all converge on your neck of the woods and stay out of ours! 😉
Watching the snow fall from inside my house, with a nice cup of tea and some cookies, and a cat on my lap. But I did dabble in downhill and cross-country skiing in my younger days, the latter around Echo summit on the California/Nevada line. Spectacular! Especially with a lodge and large fireplace waiting, and good friends, good food, and good drink.
I tried skiing once — in Iowa. Go ahead laugh but the hill was steep enough for a tow rope.
If I could magic myself up to your house, sit by the fire with you for a while and watch snowflakes falling, a cat on my lap, a hot chocolate with marshmallows and some cookies–then magic myself right back to Florida without having to drive or fly in all that cold sloppy stuff, I’d love to do it!
I was just telling my mom last week how much I miss living in NY and New England for the cross country skiing and snowshoeing! It’s great exercise, a nice way to enjoy the snow (and it’ll warm you up!), and do some nature journaling and bird watching. I don’t miss shoveling snow though!
I’m so uncoordinated that I’ve never tried cross country or snowshoeing. My one attempt at downhill was a disaster.
There is a learning curve, Sherry. When I got tired of falling, I would just take my skis off and walk down the hill!
My favorite winter activity is laughing at all those who claim to love the season and then spend all winter complaining about it. And yes, I have friends like that. “I wouldn’t want to live in Southern California because I want to have four seasons.” “I can’t wait until winter is over.”
Of course, as I like to point out, we do have four seasons here in So Cal.
1. Hot
2. Santa Ana winds and fire
3. Coolish with a slight chance of rain. Maybe. (Although we’ve gotten almost 3 inches in the last two days)
4. Warming up again.
Mark, I lived in the Bay Area for over ten years. There were two seasons there: the rainy season and the not-rainy season (which on the Bay came with daily fog). Temperatures were pretty consistent year-round, and it seldom got really hot. Of course, if you went over the hills, it was a different story.
i never complained about the lack of four seasons when we live in LA or in Monterey — I was fine with it! My husband had a t-shirt that said the four seasons were rain, wind, sun and earthquakes.
I like every season. Winter is my favorite time to cook and bake. I enjoy the cold, clear nights where the stars look brighter. It’s a great time to read more and drink hot cider by the fire. If only I didn’t need to leave the house!
I have to say, I’m liking this winter more now that I’m working from home the majority of the time!
I do not like winter weather, the cold, the snow and ice or anything else associated with winter. I’m a world class klutz, so skiing and ice skating were out of the question when I was younger and these days just plain walking is an adventure. My favorite winter activity is curled up on the couch in my favorite snugglie, cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream in hand, and a good book to read. Sometimes I vary that with a good DVD and my knitting, but the hot chocolate and the snugglie are the constants. These activities used to include a warm and purring kitty, but, sadly, I lost my last kitty just before Christmas and don’t have one at the moment.
It sounds like we could have a house party with us all curled up in different spots with a book! I’m sorry about your kitty — they are such good companions.