Greetings, Rural Sprout readers, How are you, dear friends? Did you have a good week? I hope you’ve had a great weekend. Grab your mug, and let’s sit a
spell. It seems last week’s newsletter was right on the mark. I received so many emails from you saying you, too, were experiencing the “January Itch.” My sweetheart and I set up our tiny little indoor greenhouse this week. Well, okay, he set it up, and I watched. Everything is ready for several trays full of seed starting mix and the purple-pink glow of the grow lights. But I’m waiting a bit this year. I have a habit
of trying to push the weather, growing impatient as spring approaches and making rash decisions. Just ask the two tomato plants I lost last year a week before our last frost date. This year, I’m not going to let Mother Nature catch me out. In fact, I’m hoping for a few more decent snowfalls before we transition into spring. The holidays are over, and true winter is here. I know it’s been winter for a while, but it never
seems to count until after the new year. It’s almost as if the holiday season is a fifth season each year. And although the days are growing longer, minute by minute each day, I’m still making time for those dark, peaceful evenings. Because I know before long I’ll be up to my ears in vegetables demanding my attention. Frankly, I’m not ready yet. I want to enjoy this time of
rest and quiet before warmer temperatures bring busier schedules. I want to sit by my window and knit (yet another) pair of socks while I watch the snowfall. A couple of years ago, I discovered the Danish way of hygge. (Pronounced hyoo-gah.) In a nutshell, it’s cultivating an indoor atmosphere of coziness, warmth and closeness with those you are closest to. It’s all about warm,
hand-knit socks with huge mugs of tea and candlelight. It’s about a board game and a bottle of wine shared with your oldest friends while the wind whips outside. It’s a way of life that
reminds me very much of many a winter night spent with dad in the cabin. Looking back, those evenings are one long blur of heat from the woodstove, hand after hand playing pitch, reading by the glow of the kerosene lamps, and a Prairie Home
Companion on the radio. If you’re unfamiliar with hygge, I highly recommend “The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living” by Meik Wiking. It’s an excellent primer on the subject. You’ll have to forgive me if I deal with the January Itch by pouring over seed catalogs with a large mug of hot cocoa by candlelight in my latest pair of socks, fresh off the needles. And hopefully, it will be
snowing while I do so. Be well, my friends, and have a good week.
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Social media created the "hack", but how many of them just can't hack it?
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Rain gardens are a brilliant addition to your landscape.
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Leaf mold is great for your garden, but waiting for the leaves to break down can take forever. Here are five ways to speed up the process.
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Did you miss a newsletter or want to go back and read a few for inspiration - Click this link. Don't forget to check out our Facebook page for daily updates. That's all for this week, Rural Sprout Readers.
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Sincerely, Tracey Besemer Editor Rural Sprout
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