Slow Down and Savour
So we thought we’d offer a little escape from the throngs of shoppers and the pre Christmas hustle. Here are a few suggestions for those of you who might be craving time away and want to carve out some time for a little romance, a little Hygge and an appreciation for what the winter season can offer.
When did you last stand still and watch our Star go down with the one you love? Winter offers us some spectacular sunsets and there really is something meltingly romantic about watching that orange orb of wonder sink below the horizon together.
No mobile phones, no soundtrack, no talking, just two people hanging out watching one of the world’s natural wonders.
If you can take a trip into the countryside and escape the city lights then even better. Wrap up warm, grab a blanket, a thermos of hot chocolate and your loved one, hike to a hilltop and just be still as the sun goes down. The feast of starlight that comes soon after sunset is sure to get you dreaming of magical possibilities.
December is the perfect time for star gazing, not least because you don’t have to wait until the middle of the night to see them but also because the Geminid meteor shower makes an appearance. Don’t tell me that wishing on a shooting star with the one you love doesn’t feel like magic in motion!
If you want to catch the Geminid shower then head out after dark on the December the 14th and enjoy one of the most prolific meteor showers of the year.
Inside or outside a roaring log fire has to be one of the most primal and evocative experiences we can enjoy and it’s the perfect way to slow down and savour the long winter nights. I don’t think I’ve met someone who doesn’t love a good fire. But when was the last time you just sat and watched it? Never mind Netflix, pour yourself a steaming mug of mulled wine, light some candles, put on your sound track of choice (Yo Yo Ma playing Bach anyone?) or grab a book of poetry, and your lover of course, spread out a rug and savour the moment.
There is something about reading aloud that has the power to transport us to another time and place. Have you ever read to your lover? It doesn’t have to be soppy poetry, any book you enjoy will do, what’s important is taking the time. There’s something really wonderful about gifting someone with your time to read, it creates such a powerful connection. Maybe it’s that reminder of childhood when story time meant cuddles and connection and warmth and magic. It’s intimate, unique, so accessible to us and yet so rarely indulged in. Cosy up on a rainy winter night and enjoy a good book...you never know where it may take you.
Have you ever shown the one you love that childhood photo album? Ever shared that dream of what you wanted to be growing up? Ever looked back over old holiday snaps just for the giggles? A nostalgic trip down memory lane, accompanied by the appropriate soundtrack of your youth can be a beautiful way to spend time. It may not always be full of the joys of spring, but nostalgia has a magic all of its own and when shared with those we love can bring us closer in unexpected ways.
These are just a few thoughts that take nothing but time and a little care. I wonder, what are your favourite ways to slow down and savour with those you love during the winter months?