Living in Wintertime
Seattle is very dark these days - even darker than in past years. Is that possible? Probably not, but it feels so. Today my schedule allowed me to sleep in, so I promised myself I wouldn’t rise before the sun. My eyelids fluttered at 6, but a crack in the curtain showed blackness so I did not budge from bed. Finally at 7 I dragged myself to the tea kettle, even though it was most definitely not ‘daylight’. But what I did see, through my cranky, low hung eyelids, was a truly glorious sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges, and it reflected throughout the house windows - it was kind of dizzying, and really beautiful. Pacific Northwest winters are gentle compared to many regions, but they’re brutally dark. This is a stark contrast to our endless summer days that start at 4am and end at 10pm. It’s only recently that I’ve realized that I live in the far north, and need to adopt habits that help me appreciate these big swings in light and dark.
My family is very lucky, I think, to have a wood burning fireplace in our living room. It’s only in use for a dozen weeks each year, but it is vital. The ritual of lighting that fire as dusk falls at 3pm in December lifts me up and allows me to appreciate the dark. My mother lives in a apartment, and her version of this ritual is plugging a sweet string of electirc lights that glow and bring a shine to her space. In these short days, find light!
Fortunate Orchard’s work with holiday botanicals kicks off early - the online holiday shop opens in mid November each year. I exalt in this launch of the season, but my personal approach to Christmas decor is much lazier. This is partly due to my heavy work load at the start of the holiday season, but I embrace the laze. The drip, drip, drip of decor is pleasant and low stress, and responds to the materials at hand. Most of my family’s Christmas decorating is centered on living branches, fruits and berries. These ingredients will not thrive indoors for weeks on end, so they must be added close to the main event. I enjoy this drumbeat, the piling on of natural elements indoors as Christmas draws near.
We start with outdoor elements… there are still a few gorgeous gourds on the steps to our door, vestiges of autmn. Let’s add some evergreen boughs and cones, and a simple conifer garland over the door. Evergreens will look fresh and lovely for weeks (months?) in the cool damp air. A week or so later, I hang garlands above the windows in the alcove off our kitchen and place bowls with fruit on the table below. This is our family’s center of operations, a place that we all gather and will appreciate the celebratory elements. Quince, pomegranate, citrus in bowls… conifer garland draped with boisterous ribbon! Potted narcissus, amaryllis, it all strikes a note of natural opulence.
The final stroke of holiday decor in our home is the mantel. That fireplace, which has served us so well since October, is at peak roar. The coziest space in the whole place, the emanating heat will make cedar garland crisp and wrinkle winter berries in no time flat. So, festooning the mantel is a ritual that waits until December 23rd. Perfect timing, really, in light of the Fortunate Orchard installation schedule. On that day, most clients have received their items and are snug in their own homes, beginning Christmas celebrations. That leaves me to survey the remaining materials, and we run wild! Our mantel is full of nature’s bounty - cultivated and foraged. Conifers, cones, mossy branches, California botanicals, citrus, orchard fruits… there is so much beauty in Winter to celebrate. Enjoy this season, and revel in its beauty, at close range!
