Half time in the hibernaculum

 I started my hibernaculum project on my birthday, back in October, and plan to finish on Easter Sunday.  That's a total of 165 days.  Today is the halfway point and seems like a good time for a review.

First things first.  Why did I start this project?  What do I want from it?  Well it seemed to me that I have spent the last few years wishing several months of each year would get out of the way so I could enjoy the summer.  I wouldn't say I have seasonal affective disorder, but I definitely get the winter blues.  I decided I had to change my expectations of winter.  I didn't want to dread it, feeling that I wanted it over.  I wanted to make it a good time, maybe as good as summer, but in a different way.

I'm not alone in feeling this way.  Since I started to make an effort to think differently about winter I have found quite a lot of books and newspaper articles on how to winter.  The main thrust seems to be to get out into nature, enjoy time with friends, and be cosy at home.  Getting out is a bit tricky as I increase my pain levels if I get cold but I do my best.  I make sure I have meet-ups with friends at least once a week in person and I use video calling a lot.  I have definitely made my home much cosier with a new fire and lots of LED candles (which I have kept out even though I have put the Christmas stuff away)  as well as throws for when I am sitting down.

But it was the discovery of the word "hibernaculum" which has had the most unexpected effect.  It has helped with my mindset and made this into a very positive period.  I'm not using it in its usual modern sense of a place where animals hibernate (humans can't hibernate) but rather its original sense of winter quarters for soldiers.  It was where they took time out from looting and pillaging and instead trained, maintained their equipment, did a bit of socialising and probably a bit of thinking while they relaxed.  I'm never into looting and pillaging but I have a home to maintain, things to learn and a social life to pursue. 

I still feel much more lethargic than in summer.  I sometimes look at cold drizzly days and long for June.  So many things need to be done!  However, so far, I think the hibernaculum project is a success.  I think that I may even be enjoying the winter.