Cuddling

Winter nights can get cold. When I look out my bedroom window to see a dense fog or heavy rain, nights may also feel threatening or lonely. But there’s a solution: cuddling. Preferably under a soft blanket, with comfy pillows. Cuddling offers emotional comfort and security without words. Not to mention a natural source of heat.

Sometimes we have no one to cuddle with, of course. Everything from intermittent relationships to unbearable snoring can be the cause. No matter. We didn’t have anyone to cuddle with as children either. Stuffed animals and soft baby dolls were enough. These days, you can still cuddle with a heating blanket and a large body pillow. I’ve never bought one myself, but they look comfortable. Who wouldn’t want a pillow the size of another person? Brilliant.

But even with a heating blanket and body pillow, loneliness may not disappear. All the pillows and blankets in the world can’t take the place of someone you love. The occasional whisper in your ear. The arms around you. The slight depression of the mattress with each shift. Not every aspect of cuddling can be replaced, but if comforting whispers or a soft-spoken bedtime story are all you’re looking for, look no further than YouTube. There’s an entire online community dedicated to Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, or ASMR. Read my What is ASMR? blog post on Live-Creatively.com for details.

While curling up alone may not provide emotional comfort, there are benefits. I mentioned snoring earlier. No need to worry about that, unless you wake up to your own snoring. That’s rough. Other problems include tip-toeing to the bathroom or freeing a numb arm without waking your partner. If you don’t have a partner, those problems are solved. And who hasn’t woken up chilled, your share of the covers gone? No problem there either. Sometimes it’s nice to simply be alone.

But there are worse things than friendly company on a cold winter night. Must I reference the seasonal song Baby, it’s Cold Outside? Below is a humorous video featuring cuddling tips. You may find it useful to avoid awkward situations while falling asleep with someone beside you. Happy cuddling.

A Cozy Winter Coat

It was raining all day yesterday. Not the typical Seattle rain you hear about in this area of Washington. I’m talking about buckets of rain. Sheets. Torrents. Whatever you call it, it was stormy out there and showed no signs of stopping.

I love the rain. I love watching it, hearing it, and walking in it (sometimes without an umbrella). And yes, I suppose I love Singin’ in the Rain too. But it’s important to stay warm and cozy as winter approaches.

Back in 2010, I worked at a ski resort from November through April. And it was cold. Really really cold. We had record amounts of snowfall and huddled in front of our little propane heaters as often as we could. We weathered some bad storms, with winds of up to 90mph. Feel free to read about the storm in detail on my Live-Creatively.com blog.

To stay warm, I made a coat out of my favorite plush blanket. I had no idea how to sew before I started. I learned as I went along. Always left more fabric than I thought was necessary. Used dozens and dozens of pins. Fitted myself. It worked wonders to keep me warm when I was done.

 

I double-layered everything and used sail thread (incredibly durable) to sew it by hand. My stitch of choice was the back stitch, the strongest of all hand stitches. Let's take a closer look at the individual components.

 

I reinforced the sleeve elbows with a third oval layer. The wrap around the wrist is adjustable, made with a simple leather rectangle and industrial-strength Velcro to keep the wind from blowing up the sleeves. I had to create seams for every edge to avoid fraying and to improve durability. The white button just adds a feminine touch to an otherwise rugged coat.

 

I used a wide strip of industrial strength Velcro to seal the coat instead of a zipper because I didn't want to snag the plush fabric and wrestle with it every time I zipped it. An air-tight seal was also important to me, which a double layer of fabric at the opening fulfills quite well.

 

 

This is a holster holder that's been back stitched on either end twice. A leather punch was necessary, as forcing a needle through leather is fairly painful and impossible, even with a sail palm (like a thimble for your palm). On the opposite side of the holder is a wide strip of industrial strength Velcro. The adjoining Velcro is sewn onto the holster. I enjoy the look, but it would be easier to sew leather belt loops and wrap a matching belt around the lower hips of the coat (with the added bonus of keeping the wind out).

 

 

Nobody enjoys a wearing a cone on their head. I made sure to avoid the pointed look when I sewed the hood. It contains a roll-out piece to act as a face shield in severe weather and an attached collar.

 

 

The final touch was the silhouette of a howling wolf's head cut from scraps of leather and sewn onto the back of the coat. I colored the white sail thread with a brown sharpie. Sometimes the simplest method is best. There's no practical purpose, but it adds character.

 

I wore this coat for six months up in the snowy mountains. Its only flaw was not being waterproof. The good news is that a rain coat can be worn over this coat for days when it's snowing. And if I've learned anything during my travels, it's that two specialty products are better than a product that tries to serve multiple purposes. In other words, a rain coat worn over a cozy winter coat will keep you much warmer and drier than a store-bought coat that tries to do both.

 

Stay warm this winter.

The Golden Age of Radio

 

As the days grow colder and winter approaches, I find myself huddled near a fire and surrounded by family each night. But I can only watch television for so long before I become bored. The channels blur together in a familiar wave of characters, commercials, and punch lines. Before cabin fever sets in, I set out in search of a traditional favorite: Old-Time Radio.

Most people don’t realize that
Old-Time Radio never died. Not completely anyway. There are still little-known FM and AM radio stations which broadcast new programs each weekend. Some have been on the air for over fifty years.

As impressive as that is, there’s an easier way to tune in to Old-Time Radio programs: the internet. Websites like The Old Time Radio Network and Radio Lovers store archives of popular programs broadcasted long ago. You may need a particular media player depending on the website you choose, like the Real Player, but a link for free download is provided at the top of OTR.net’s webpage if you need it (I needed it).

Programs include comedies, dramas, horror, science fiction, vintage sportscasts, vintage newscasts, and more. Below are just a few titles from the Old Time Radio Network that caught my eye under the category Vintage Newscasts:

·         BBC Gas Mask Drill, March of 1939

·         BBC Evacuation of London, September of 1939

·         BBC Evacuee Message to Parents, September of 1939

·         BBC Princess Elizabeth Aged 14, October of 1939

If history isn’t your thing, you may be more drawn into fictional broadcasts like:

·         Frankenstein

·         Dick Tracy

·         Ozzie and Harriet

·         Les Miserables

·         Amos and Andy

Finally, if you long for vintage music, you can search YouTube playlists for those like this  Doo Wop Playlist. Ah, the oldies.

As the nights grow longer and colder, any “new” form of family entertainment will come in handy. Explore old-time radio shows to discover your favorites and bring history to life. If you prefer to transition from television to radio with a mood movie, I highly recommend watching the comedy Radioland Murders (1994), starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Brian Benben, Christopher Lloyd, Larry Miller, and Stephen Tobolowsky. The full movie is available on YouTube here.

Preparing for Winter

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Frost is already on the ground and the air is bitterly cold in Washington State. Winter doesn't officially begin until December 21st, but the combination of colder temperatures and shorter days is an incentive to prepare for winter. If the power goes out or the roads become too icy for travel, I like to make sure my family will thrive for at least a month. While in a mountaintop town, we aren't so cut off from civilization that preparing for isolation any longer than one month is an immediate  priority. Finances are too tight to allow it.

More often than not, I already have what I need. But to double-check, I tally the food, stored water with drops of water preserver, ceramic water filters, heating oil, propane, hand-crank flashlights and radio, medicine, self-defense items, and hygienic supplies. The winter clothing in the attic is brought down, boots put by the doors, and hats, scarves, and gloves at the ready.

We respect winter around here.

If it were within my power, I'd probably store firewood as well. But the logic of doing so is questionable anyway. The fan on our gas fireplace may not work in an outage, but the flames still put out heat, and we have alternate sources of heat in the event that the fireplace no longer works. To burn good old-fashioned firewood, we'd need to expose ourselves to the outside winter air. While useful for the occasional hot meal, a group of candles will work nearly as well when used with caution in the garage.

I’d love to have a solar, wind, and hand-crank powered generator one day. Like the portable Humless Sentinel generator. For now, my only source of electric power in a power outage is a hand-crank “pocket socket.” That, and a cell phone charger built into my Eton Scorpion hand-crank radio/flashlight. These sources will have to do for now. What I love about them is the lack of a need for batteries or continued source of liquid fuel.

In the event we’re on our own for the entire winter, we do have an extensive home library of non-fiction books. Talk about a crash course in ice fishing, eh? With a little creativity and intelligence, I think we could make it through. All anyone can do is prepare as much as possible. Winter won’t wait. I hope this winter finds us sipping hot chocolate and Egg Nog in a toasty, well-lit home. But just in case it doesn't, we're ready for snowy isolation.