F5: Cabin Fever!

Singing Owl, at RevGals posted this week's Friday Five by saying, Here in snow country we are settled in to what is a very long stretch of potentially boring days. The holidays are over. It is a very long time till we will get outside on a regular basis. The snow that seemed so beautiful at first is now dirty and the snow banks are piling up. Our vehicles are all the same shade of brownish grey, but if we go to the car wash our doors will freeze shut. People get grumpy. Of course, not everyone lives in a cold climate, but even in warmer places the days till springtime can get long. Help! Please give us five suggestions for combating cabin fever and staying cheerful in our monochromatic world?

Always having lived on the Canadian prairies where cold is... well... COLD, here are my suggestions for staying warm and sane!

5) Evenings (especially Friday nights!) are best spent curled up in a blanket, with a fresh cup of my significant other, Earl G. (spot of milk), in front of the fireplace.  The preference would be to watch the local NHL team, but as they are currently on the All-Star break, I suppose it will be a favourite movie instead.  

4) Games, cards especially - the glorious advantage to the world wide web is the ability to play Canasta or Crib with long distance family or friends.  And, always a joy to meet someone new with a slightly different strategy to the game.  

3) Drag out those unsorted photos and work on putting them creatively into that album you purchased a year ago, scrapbook, or make some generic greeting cards.  Very easy to do - and everyone has magazines, old flyers, cardboard paper, and glue!  

3.5) Write in one of these greeting cards and send a friend some lovely snail mail.  It is a cheerful thing to do, and I bet it would bring some warm cheer to your recipient as well!

2) Have a hot bubble bath.  This seems to help with anything and everything, but there is nothing like getting warm all the way through on a cold winters night.  Scented bubble bath, candles, and bath salts are always an added plus!

1) The number one thing to do during these long winter months?  Make a point of point of phoning someone that you haven't spoken to since Christmas (or before).  There is nothing like a conversation with a friend to make any long and cold night, just a wee bit more pleasant.  

Hm... thanks Singing Owl!  I am cooped up inside recovering from the events of yesterday, and I was slightly grumpy about it all.  Looks like there is more that I can do from a stationary position than what I first thought... hmmm... who can I send a card to?