Time to Cozy Up

Well, winter’s in full swing. As I’m writing today, there’s snow falling in some parts of the country and icy rain in others, with the thermometer dipping into single digits. Even if it’s not cold where you are, the days are shorter, the leaves are gone from the deciduous trees. It’s time to find ways to be cozy.

 The impulse must be as ancient as the human species. A fire in the hearth is so comforting, I imagine, because there was a time when crackling flames, and a good stack of firewood, meant survival. They let you relax while the wind howled outside the cave, hut, farmhouse. Fire lit the long nights and discouraged hungry predators for so many millennia of our history.

I miss having a fireplace where I live now. But I still find plenty of ways to be cozy. My recipe? Brew up a pot of good English tea, add a cookie or two,  curl up under a fluffy blanket, or a thick comforter on the bed, and break out a good book. Maybe it’s a new author, maybe a familiar comfort read; either one can transport me. I enjoy this scenario as much as, or maybe more than, a balmy summer day.

Are you staying cozy this winter? What’s your favorite method?