I was a little bit surprised by my first winter in D.C.  I moved down here because I thought it would be warm.  And it is – most of the year.  I can run outside and hubby can grill almost all year ’round.  But winter still exists here.  We get our occasional Snowmaggeddons that make national news (which is hilarious to me – it’s SNOW, folks) but mostly it’s a long, grey, chilly stretch of days leading from the bonanza of Christmas to the beginning of allergy season.

But I like winter.  I honestly do; it may come from having grown up in a place where winter arrived with a vengeance and stayed for months.  You had to learn to accept it, even embrace it, or you were destined to be miserable for long stretches of the year.  (There’s a well-known joke that there are four seasons in upstate New York: almost winter, winter, still winter, and construction.  I wish I knew who to attribute that to – I heard it from my brother.)  That’s why we ski and skate and build igloos.  You need to do something to pass the time and stay warm.  Of course it’s not as bad in D.C., but it’s still winter, and I’m still trying to stay warm.

Here’s what’s keeping me warm this winter:

~Tea!  Of course!  Especially Mariage Freres Bolero and Rouge Bourbon Vanille from R’s stash (thanks, R!) and Etoile de France from my own.

~Smartwool socks.  They are the warmest, cuddliest socks ever made and they keep my feet completely dry and toasty on winter hikes with hubby.  Bonus points because my freakishly tiny feet fit into a kids’ size medium.  Half price, BOO-YAH!

~Downton Abbey.  Hubby and I are watching on Blu-Ray and LOVING Season 2!  I look forward all day to nights wrapped up in a blanket, nestled next to hubby on the couch, watching the Crawleys’ dramatic lives unfold.

~The prospect of curling up with a good book always warms me up.  Next month I have plans to revisit some old favorites, like the Emily of New Moon series by L.M. Montgomery, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.  And I’m sure I’ll spend at least one winter afternoon under a blanket with a cup of tea and Pride and Prejudice.  It’s basically a winter must for me.

How are you staying warm this winter?