Surviving February.

I have long held that even though February is the shortest month on the calendar, it feels like the longest.  Last year, I fell into a “mid-life, mid-career, middle-of-winter” funk that took me weeks to get out of.  This year it’s not so bad, though I find myself simultaneously longing for spring and panicking that my sabbatical is speeding by me.  That, and I am dreadfully sick of snow.

So, how to survive February?  One needs both gratitude and opportunities for escape.

In February, I am grateful:

1)      That it is wee Anya’s birthday month (photo from last year at Grandma’s.)

2)      That Valentine’s Day gives us an excuse to get a babysitter.

3)      For Samuel’s drawing of a groundhog (on my calendar).

4)      That spring is getting nearer.

5)      That February is the perfect excuse to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book.

6)      That It’s still baking season. (That’s a spicy quick bread; last week it was banana bread. Okay, it doesn't look pretty--but it's tasty!)

Escape ideas:

1)      Well, there’s always that good book with a cup of tea.

2)      The bathtub.  Hot.  With lots of bubbles.  (Oh, yeah—and that good book.  Or candles.) 

3)      Planning/daydreaming of what we’ll do when it’s finally spring (maybe garden, or take a trip, or go on a picnic).

4)      Tell stories.  The sillier the better.

5)      Better still: ask Anya to tell me a story.  I’ll forget all about February trying to keep up with the twists and turns and unusual plot lines. 

6)      Guilty Pleasure movies. (You know, the kind you love to watch but don’t want anyone to know about.)

That’s about all I’ve got.  Mostly, we’ve just got to muddle our way through and believe that spring is, indeed, on its way. 

How do you get through February?