Fall brings out certain instincts in me, prepping for winter. I like to clean, rearrange furniture, put down cozy carpets and bring out the comfy blankets…kind of a hibernation preparation.
It probably comes from a childhood of my mom canning garden produce and my dad cutting and stacking cords and cords of firewood during October and November. There was a lot of work to be done in the fall to get ready for the long winter months and the short winter days.
This is my favorite season. I wish someone could make a candle called “Fall Leaves” and have it really smell exactly like all leaves. Other fall smells that I would take with me into my hibernation house would be Apple Crisp and Roasted Chicken. I have them both in the oven today as I type my column and I can hardly wait to finish so I can sneak a bite of each before dinner.
For this column, I researched animal hibernation. I learned that black bears don’t eat or drink for months during the winter. And the females usually wake up to baby bears! How wonderful is that! I grew up around bears on the North Shore. Heading to the dump with a bag of marshmallows was a favorite evening activity.
Better than television!
In the fall we knew that they would soon be finding a comfy den and hunkering down for the winter. They ate plenty of berries, nuts, and garbage to hold them over until spring. I would not be a good bear hibernator. I would probably be better as a squirrel. They wake up once a week and stretch their legs and grab a snack.
I believe we should all give hibernation a try. Find a cozy bed or chair. Wrap up in your favorite blanket. Drink something that makes you feel warm and wonderful. (I like Friendship Tea.) Light a fragrant candle and soak it all in…doze if you feel the need. Be happy to hibernate now, come spring we’ll be refreshed and rejuvenated.
“Fall is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” ~Edith Sitwell
Taste of Home columnist Sandy (Anderson) Holthaus lives on a farm in South Haven, MN with her husband, Michael, and their children Zoe, Jack and Ben. Her heart remains on the North Shore where she grew up with her parents, Art and LaVonne Anderson of Schroeder. She enjoys writing about her childhood and mixes memories with delicious helpings of homestyle recipes.
Leave a Reply