Day 46 of 365 - It's Cozy Season!
It's not even winter yet, but some days lately it has been feeling that way where I live. We have already had a bit of snow which has stayed on the ground and rooftops. But, it's really too early for all that and it will warm up and melt before long.
I don't know about you, but I feel the cold more than I used to. And, it seems, that once we have had a cold snap I'm easily chilled the rest of the season. I'm aware this is not an uncommon experience for those in the senior set. I live in an apartment building which happens to be home to a lot of seniors. If elderly people live below us, we hardly need to turn our heat on all winter because their heat rises and warms us.
I've been more easily chilled lately as I am recovering from a cold. I'm wanting to keep my back and my neck warm. Though I used to have a few fleece tops that I could wear over T shirts for warmth, I donated them to Goodwill when they became too large for me. I'm currently in fleece deficit. So, instead, this morning I pulled out a box of cotton blend tops which I have not worn in a long time. I'm referring to turtlenecks and mock turtlenecks.
Those items were a staple in cold weather in years past, often layered under warm sweaters. But the hot flash era of perimenopause and menopause changed all that. Then, moving into an apartment building which stays pretty warm all winter made it simply too uncomfortable to dress that way, until now.
Different friends have given me a lot of clothes from their closets this year as I've changed sizes. Included in those are several sweaters and a few turtlenecks. I selected some this morning and they are now ready in my closet. Today I'm wearing a mock T with a cozy knitted vest and am very comfortable.
I like tea year round, preferring hot drinks to cold, but especially during our cold months it is very comforting to me to have a variety of flavored teas on hand. Soups and stews are a favorite as well and are frequently on the menu. In fact, I'm making a beef curry for dinner tonight, a mild curry mind you. I don't enjoy really hot spices.
One of the healthy cookbooks I own is called Hot Detox. Not every food in it is a hot cooked food, but all the recipes contain some kind of warming spices or flavors. That really appealed to me and I've enjoyed many items from that book.
A friend of mine once tried a raw vegan diet, for health reasons. Though the food was delicious, which I know from making some of it with her, she was not able to maintain that diet once the cooler weather arrived. In that approach food cannot be much warmer than room temperature. For some of us, it's simply not enough to take away the winter chills.
Although we don't really need it for heat, one of the things I miss from living in a house is our gas fireplace. We used to have a wood fireplace but converted it for efficiency. It kept our living room toasty warm for sitting and reading on winter afternoons or evenings. Now I would have to make do with a fireplace video on the computer or TV. But even that would trick my brain a little into believing that feel warmer.
In any case, I'm very grateful to have different options for staying warm and cozy on these late fall days. I do have a comfortable place to live, choices of warm clothing to wear and access to warming food and drink. Not everyone does. May I continue to be mindful of that as we move into the winter months.
I don't know about you, but I feel the cold more than I used to. And, it seems, that once we have had a cold snap I'm easily chilled the rest of the season. I'm aware this is not an uncommon experience for those in the senior set. I live in an apartment building which happens to be home to a lot of seniors. If elderly people live below us, we hardly need to turn our heat on all winter because their heat rises and warms us.
I've been more easily chilled lately as I am recovering from a cold. I'm wanting to keep my back and my neck warm. Though I used to have a few fleece tops that I could wear over T shirts for warmth, I donated them to Goodwill when they became too large for me. I'm currently in fleece deficit. So, instead, this morning I pulled out a box of cotton blend tops which I have not worn in a long time. I'm referring to turtlenecks and mock turtlenecks.
Those items were a staple in cold weather in years past, often layered under warm sweaters. But the hot flash era of perimenopause and menopause changed all that. Then, moving into an apartment building which stays pretty warm all winter made it simply too uncomfortable to dress that way, until now.
Different friends have given me a lot of clothes from their closets this year as I've changed sizes. Included in those are several sweaters and a few turtlenecks. I selected some this morning and they are now ready in my closet. Today I'm wearing a mock T with a cozy knitted vest and am very comfortable.
I like tea year round, preferring hot drinks to cold, but especially during our cold months it is very comforting to me to have a variety of flavored teas on hand. Soups and stews are a favorite as well and are frequently on the menu. In fact, I'm making a beef curry for dinner tonight, a mild curry mind you. I don't enjoy really hot spices.
One of the healthy cookbooks I own is called Hot Detox. Not every food in it is a hot cooked food, but all the recipes contain some kind of warming spices or flavors. That really appealed to me and I've enjoyed many items from that book.
A friend of mine once tried a raw vegan diet, for health reasons. Though the food was delicious, which I know from making some of it with her, she was not able to maintain that diet once the cooler weather arrived. In that approach food cannot be much warmer than room temperature. For some of us, it's simply not enough to take away the winter chills.
Although we don't really need it for heat, one of the things I miss from living in a house is our gas fireplace. We used to have a wood fireplace but converted it for efficiency. It kept our living room toasty warm for sitting and reading on winter afternoons or evenings. Now I would have to make do with a fireplace video on the computer or TV. But even that would trick my brain a little into believing that feel warmer.
In any case, I'm very grateful to have different options for staying warm and cozy on these late fall days. I do have a comfortable place to live, choices of warm clothing to wear and access to warming food and drink. Not everyone does. May I continue to be mindful of that as we move into the winter months.
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