Sunday 6 November 2011

Winter: Love vs. Hate

I guess I have to face the fact that I live in Canada, where 11 months out of the year the weather concludes blowing snow and sheets of ice galore. Gotta love it, right? The multiple layers of clothing, toques and mitts. The chapped lips and dry skin. All the outcomes of winter that make people cringe when the first flake of iced rain drop onto the leftover summer pavement. It's almost depressing. What can we make of this awful long season? I think we should start thinking more on the lines of positivity!

I know of a lot of people who snowboard or ski during the winter breaks. However, I had a nightmare experience the first time I learned how to ski and I'm not about to talk about what had happened. Let's just say I didn't know the symbols applied to anything at all when I first got my green circle stamped on my ski tag. I quickly learned there was a significance to these symbols as I endured my adventure down the black diamond adventure of death. It was awful.

Since screaming bloody murder and slidding on my a** isn't my forte, I prefer to stick with much more classier winter activities. Skating in my small town is an escape away from home where you can slap a few pucks around in anger and frustration without anyone looking at you strangely. Half the time I'm the only one there so it's a nice feeling. I can't wait until they put the ice in. Although, I'm certain there's a monster living in the furnace room when I go to turn off the ice lights late at night...

Covering up in warm, fuzzy blankets watching Christmas movies in the basement with my sister is also an exceptional good time. There's also air hockey tournaments, tobogganing in the river valley or even at Becca's house with the finishing touch of warm hot chocolate with a french vanilla touch in our bellys. Perfect!

What's Christmas without winter?! I have a huge family so you can imagine when all of us gather for such occasions, it's always mandatory we have a spectacular time. Board games like monopoly, scribblish, or cranium is always a must tradition. After all, we cannot let cousin Tara down :) The bursts of crying laughter and hoots and howling, you can't just cannot love it. Just being with such a fantastic family to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, I know that I am blessed. And oh, how very grateful I am. 


New Years Eve is also a blessing and a half. Our little village has it's annual dance, you never know what's going to be the turnout. Anyhow, it's still a pretty good night with friends and such. I can't believe it's going to 2012 soon. Seems like things went into fast forward ever since my 6th birthday. Crazy! I thought I was still debating between blue crayons and red crayons. Now I'm thinking about what I'm going to do after I graduate... woah, what!?


You can say I'm a true fan of February break. While almost everyone goes away on their ski/Mexico trips, I stay at home and celebrate my birthday :) What joy! Get the rink to myself, spending time with Harm and the "away" friends who come home from university or whatever it may be, there always seems to be a new memory made by the end of the week. I quite enjoy the times to be had with the people I love. No one else could ask for a better birthday gift. :)


So I guess inbetween the scraping of windshields and slippery roads, I will be busy with all other anti - stressful activities that will fill my life with wonders and joy that I will forget about this long season of Canada's and I WILL keep my head held high. It's my guarantee. 


What's your favorite winter activity or holiday? Leave a comment below ! Doooo itttt. I demand.

 

3 comments:

Harm said...

omg haley you right there is a monster in the furnace room at the rink, i swear i have seen it before.. who am i kiddin i heard it before lol! And yes christmas moving nights are the greatest i can't agree more with you lol... everytime I read your blog i tear up, dont know if it the great writing capabilities you have or the mere fact of what your talking about get me teary eyed. Anyways love you and o yeah way in advance happy birthday on feb 20th lol!! <3

Bonnie said...

I can't wait for Christmas,cause I know spring is coming, LOL I too, spent many hours at the rink skating in the winter when I was a kid. Your Great Grandpa East always gave us an early Christmas present....season tickets for the Rink. We will have to see what new board game is out this year to play........The furnace room at the rink where the lights are scared the crap out of me too. Take care Haley June.

Bonnie said...

I did it....I did it. Yes I went skateing at Climax Rink..........well kinda. Thanks Harmoney and Haley and Brittany. I had a blast.