Pondering Winter And Lent

I love Winter. I love the early, cold, dark and quiet mornings. I love the fresh air and pristine snowy landscape and mauve-tinged sunrises and sunsets. I love the endless and open vista in the absence of fruit and foliage. I love the feel of soft fleece sweaters and warm, wool socks, and the welcoming cocoon of brushed flannel linens. Having said all of that, I am ready for Spring.  It's not because of the February blues legendary to us homeschooling families.  I have savored Winter, polar vortices, school closings and all, so I am itching for a new season. Maybe I'm tired of staring the same four walls of my house and it's intentionally blah decor aka Winter Bland.  I'm ready for a pop of color and a flurry of activities that Spring has to offer. But first, the arid beauty of Lent.

I've been trying to plan the "holiest Lent of my entire life" aka "get real".  I can honestly say I've never had the "holiest Lent" and it's not for lack of trying. If there is one thing I have learned about living Lent it's that I will fail along the way or shortly thereafter.  In fact, one year I failed right on Easter Sunday, even before I got to Mass.  All forty days of glorious (and in my mind successful) Lent ruined by a tantrum (mine, believe it or not!).  I blew my top over some party prep detail that had been overlooked and my OCD tendencies got the better of me.  It's all blurry memory to me now but I still remember the bubbling anger in my heart.  It was such a stark contrast to the serenity of fasting for forty days. Needless to say I have learned a lot that Lent. It gave me a different perspective and frankly, an embarrassing reality check on the state of my soul. It taught me a lot about humility and the ongoing work of holiness on this side of Eden. As sobering as that sounds, I still look forward to Lent each year. I love Lent. I need Lent. I need the contemplative silence. Cor ad cor loquitur.  Am I allowed to love Lent so much? lol

Before I skeddadle here are some photos to share as always - 

unlike some people in my house I actually like a lot of snow

cabin fever is to blame for this type of behavior

  

and more snow

then fog

then comes the thaw

getting a Winter hike in