Themes and Plans for January

This one's a bit late! And I'm sorry about that. January really snuck up on me this year! (It has a habit of doing that. One minute you're opening Christmas cards and the next minute you're scheduling appointments for February!)

I shouldn't have been surprised really. Around here the weather has been so snowy and cold it seems like it's been January for weeks! We actually haven't had much snow recently, but it has been very icy and bitter cold. In fact, it reached all of 13 degrees today ... but we should be up in the 50s next week, if you can believe it! (Forecasting is tough in New England; we have a saying, if you don't like the weather, wait a minute.) So how's winter treating you where you live? :)

Crazy-cold weather notwithstanding, this is one of my favorite months of the year, because, as Jane Austen says, "there's nothing like staying home for real comfort." And this is perhaps the best time of the year for doing just that. The comforts of home are never more comforting than when the world without is so dark and cold.

So, for your consideration, here are some Themes and Plans for January ...

Nature:

• snow and plenty of it
• ice - terrible, treacherous and yet beautiful
• the seed catalogs arrive; time to plan the gardens by the fireside
• all kinds of tracks in the snow
• the traditional January thaw
• birds at the feeders in droves
• the pond is thick with ice (who's still living under there?)
• the Full Wolf Moon (22)
• owls nesting and hooting deep in the woods
• time to make birdhouses
• scarlet winter sunsets

Food:

• winter citrus
• root vegetables
• stored apples and pears
• dried fruits
• oatmeal
• hearty stews and pot pies
• cinnamon rolls
• vanilla poundcake (with vanilla whipped cream)
• hot almond milk before bed
• comforting soup: chicken, chowder, tomato
• bread pudding
• old-fashioned ham and bean suppers
• hot spiced tea on cold afternoons
• family (homemade) pizza night

Faith:

• World Day of Peace (1)
• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (1)
• Most Holy Name of Jesus (3)
• Epiphany (6)
• Baptism of the Lord (13)
• Ordinary Time resumes (14)
• St. Agnes (21)
• Our Lady of Altagracia (21)
• Our Lady of Peace (24)
• St. Thomas Aquinas (28) (Bookworm's patron)
• Sunday Gospels:
  • 1/6: Matthew 2:1-12
  • 1/13 Matthew 3:13-17
  • 1/20 John 1: 29-34
  • 1/27 Matthew 4: 12-23 or 4: 12-17

Home

• take down tree and all greenery
• pack away decorations
• begin a Christmas '08 notebook
• send thank you notes
• update address book
• purchase or make a new calendar
  • enter all important dates
• make family appointments for the year
• purchase greetings cards for birthdays this year
  • tuck in file folders
• purge and recycle holiday catalogs
• order seed catalogs
• purchase seed starting supplies
• replenish baking supplies
• stock car with winter emergency supplies
• organize snow day play equipment
• purchase tax preparation software
• buy valentine making supplies before month's end

Life:

• National Hot Tea Month
• National Soup Month
• National Oatmeal Month
• New Year's Day (1)
• Family birthdays:
• • me (12)
  • Damee (14)
  • Grandma Barbara (27)
• The Veggie Tales movie in theatres (11)
• Benjamin Franklin's birthday (17)
• A.A. Milne's birthday (18)
• National Popcorn Day (19)
• Martin Luther King Day (21)
• (Robert) Burns Night (25)
• Days of the Blackbird (29-31)
• Lost (the series) returns! (31)

Stories: Please see my Winter and January Baskets, on the left and right hand sidebars respectively.

Field Trips:

• sledding
• the nursery (to buy seeds and inhale warm greenery)
• a local pizzeria

Crafts/Activities:

• start new year diaries!
• choose a classic to read aloud on long winter nights
• make herbal candies for the medicine basket
• plan out the new year's garden
• make window stars
• fingerknit
• have a King's Cake on Epiphany
• string popcorn and cranberries for the birds
• make ice catchers to hang in the trees
• catch snowflakes
• make a snowman!
• make sugar snow early one morning
• family game nights
• by month's end start felt heart sachets

Well, that's a lot of ideas for just one month! I can only hope to do some of them, but I'm glad to have the list to look back on again next year. So, what makes January special for you? What things are on your "to do-to learn-to enjoy" list this month?

Oh, this bitter cold night has us all in our flannels and fleece and staying close to the fire ... but now it's time to get these kiddoes (and me!) off to bed. I hope you are all enjoying a good old-fashioned winter (whatever winter means where you live) and savoring all the comforts of home ...

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,

A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;

Blinks but an hour or two; and then,

A blood-red orange, sets again …”

~*~Robert Louis Stevenson~*~

*Friday morning update ~ I have just updated all the posts in my Themes & Plans series with new tags, so if you subscribe to my Bloglines, there will be a few old posts showing up as new today. :) 

Comments

[Lisa]

I was just wondering, where do you find all of the "special" months like:
National Hot Tea Month
National Soup Month
National Oatmeal Month ?
They are probably easy to find on the internet but I am not to computer savvy! ;^)
Have a blessed day.

[Mary Ellen Barrett]

What a lovely inspiring list Dawn! Thanks for sharing it.

[Patricia]

Dawn,
I was wondering how to make the herbal candies? I have a special needs son with autism and would be interested in how you make them. Also, what do you put in the felt heart sachets?
Blessings,
Patricia
Surrounded by Grace

[Martha in VA]

Ooh, hot tea and soup in the same month!! Heaven! I, too, want to know your source for these wonderful tidbits!

[Pam]

Greetings Dawn -- enjoy your blog ... here is a link I thought you might find interesting .. http://www.flamebright.com/PTPages/Benjamin.asp
Some info about Ben Franklin for you and the boys to talk about on the 17th. Happy birdwatching ... odd as it is there are those of us older gals waiting for the Chickadee Post!

[deezie]

Oh I love all the things you are going to be doing. Where do you find out about stuff like National popcorn month? stuff like that? I hope you do it all, I am sure you will
I adore reading your blog by the way
deezie

[Jennifer]

Just wanted you to know, I only recently found your blog. Wish I had sooner. I am loving it! It is one I look forward to catching up on each day. LOVE the monthly themes, plans and books. Thank you for sharing.

I, too, am a avid bird lover, and I'm very much enjoying the pics & nature updates.

[Genevieve]

Dear Dawn, I would love to know more about how you make the herbal candies. My children have enjoyed some of the reading recommendations. Thank you!

[Nicole Coffin]

Dawn,
Thank you so much for taking the time to put all of your plans, books and ideas on this blog. You have really started me and my family on a journey of more focus on crafting, nature, and spirituality on our home (we already do well on the food front). I noticed you listed order seed catalogs and starting a garden is one of our goals with our little girls this year. Can you recommend a seed catalog? I didn't even know there were seed catalogs, lol. (I grew up in Miami and things just grow like crazy there all year long)know).
Thanks!

[elipowell]

Dear Dawn

This is a book that made me think of you! My little Star loves it.

http://users.ictp.it/~lucatell/mowzer/mouzer.shtml

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mousehole-Cat-Antonia-Barber/dp/0744523532/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199466501&sr=1-1

I will never be able to send enough thank you's for your wonderful blog.

Elizabeth

[MaryP]

Hi Dawn,

Your blog is wonderful. I truly enjoy your writing and ideas. Thank you for sharing.
I took a look at Pleasant View School House. How wonderful. Now I need to embroider and sew. I have always wanted to embroider. I understand her needing to sit by the fire to knit or sew. This was very inspiring.
She truly understands dailiness with her last two chores. How lovely.
PBS is doing Jane Austen this year. They are doing Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. They will, also, be showing Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility. What a treat.
Take care, Mary

[Mary Ann]

Great ideas Dawn!

This month we are doing a unit on Snowflake Bentley, inspired by the unit study on him at Home School Share. I am adding in things about the weather (like the January Thaw we will be having next week) and stories like Katy and the Big Snow.

We are also doing Mary Cassatt, just because I love her art.

[Barb-Harmony Art Mom]

Thanks for all the great ideas and reminders for January. I actually put some on my running list of January things to do.......I thought my list was long and now it even got longer!

I have enjoyed your list of books and your nature posts and updates. I have three boys too so it's nice to read a blog where there are lots of things to do with the guys.

Thanks for sharing,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

[Brian]

Dawn,

My wife (http://www.daughterofhope.com) suggested I try asking you my question. I've started getting the liturgical prayers on my PDA and I'm really enjoying them. However, there's one that I especially like, but cannot locate a source. It is the "Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord..." It has a very nice rhythm to it and I wouldn't be surprised to find it a Celtic, especially Irish, source.
Do you know this one?

Thanks

[Joanne Heim]

Oh my goodness! What a list!

I love the way it's all divided up, and with dates on the calendar. I usually plan our weeks, but I love the big picture of the month and getting some of those fun things on the calendar early--National Popcorn Day!

Think I need to spend some time with Outlook today...

Joanne

[Amanda]

Your herbal candy idea has me very intrigued! Can you share more on how you are doing that? Thanks for all your ideas and knowledge!

[kelly]

Dawn,

I've never heard of Robert Burns Night and Days of the Blackbird. Could you tell a little about each?

Thanks,
Kelly

[Jennifer]

Thank you so much for all your hard work. I'm having a hard time getting my act together and your guidance and inspiration are keeping us from falling into non-learning (is that even a word?). So, not to put any pressure on you or anything-but do you have plans for Feb. and Mar. yet???
Thanks again!
Jennifer