Cabin Fever

When we lived in Northern Wisconsin winter was a difficult time of the year. There is a time, about the middle of January, when all of the days were below zero.The high temperature for the day was minus 4 and the low was about minus 10. At the same time there is little or no sun for about 10 or 12 days. You were lucky if you were able to get outside at all. On Sunday you want to go to church, because there you can at least, talk to some one who is the same situation. You would get a chance to smile and even laugh a little. That is the remedy for, "Cabin Fever." My wife and I lived that life for 10 years. You needed to be in contact with other people during this bleak time. After this period, the sun would shine again, and every one's spirit was up lifted. Happy days are here again.

For me it was a bit different. I had so many things to do that I had no time for melancholy. Almost every night it would snow, and in the morning, I would bundle up, and start the snow blower. We had a U-shaped driveway that had to be opened up, as well as paths to the garage, to the wood shed, and back to the basement. I had a wood stove in the basement family room there, that I could make cozy warm. I called it my Florida room. Then about noon, I would drive the two miles to get my daily newspaper. I didn't have time for cabin fever.

Received Two Wish Books

Happy New Year to all my readers. Here are my wishes that the new year will bring great new opportunities and significant improvements to the economy for everyone.
What about wish books? Perhaps you have to be a gardener to get excited about planning for your garden in the spring. I received my first catalog in December which was Growing Tomatoes. That is my favorite. The last year I was in Wisconsin, I gave the food pantry 50 lbs of tomatoes besides the ones we used for our selves and our friends. Just now I received a Burpee Catalog with all sorts of veggies and other interesting plants. Here at my son's home, I have extra room to try other plants as well as tomatoes.
I had great success last year with starting plants from seeds on my wide sunny window sill. It is my prediction that we will be having an early spring because winter started so early, with the really cold weather. So I'm planning to plant outside by May 15th. I also will be planning to protect them with a plastic bottle green house. I make these by taking a 2 liter pop bottle that has the bottom removed. Place these over each plant. Then take a thin branch and put it through the bottle's neck, anchoring it into the ground. Start saving your 2 liter bottles now.