Seven Interesting Things I Learned this Winter

The winter season has flown by, and I can hardly believe in just a few weeks spring will be here. When thinking about the past three months, it didn’t feel too busy, but when I looked back at my calendar, I realized it was full of activity. In December, my husband and I got away for a mini vacation up to Northern California. We celebrated my husband’s birthday, Christmas, and New Year’s, and took our younger daughter to San Francisco for a few days. In January, our older daughter came home for a week-long visit, we celebrated her birthday, attended a wedding, and my husband and I spent four nights at a darling cottage in Santa Barbara. In February, I went away for two nights on a retreat, and we celebrated Valentine’s Day.

As I age, I find myself thinking more about which areas I see growth, what brings life to my soul, and things that drain me. This helps me to make better choices, know when to say yes or no, and lead a fuller life. I keep track of what I learn in the Notes app on my phone and in my bullet journal. When it feels as if I am not moving forward, all I have to do is look in one of those two places to see that’s not true. It’s fun looking back to see what I did, who I spent time with, where I went, and what I learned.

“In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

Albert Camus

Here are seven interesting things I learned this winter~

 

After a natural disaster in a tourist-heavy area, economic recovery depends on visitors.

My husband and I had booked a little getaway to celebrate the completion of his 9-month job assignment out of town. We planned to stay at our favorite inn in Santa Barbara; however, the air quality was dangerous due to the recent wildfires. My husband had already taken time off from work, so when considering where to go instead, we thought of Napa Valley. Though that area suffered wildfire damage just a few months before, I discovered through a friend it was the perfect time for a visit.

We had been under the impression, because of news reports, that the entire area was devastated. We discovered that although thousands of homes were destroyed, fewer than ten wineries had suffered damage and the region was desperate for tourism. We quickly booked a room and spent almost a week there. Every establishment was happy to have customers, and we discovered that many businesses were donating some of their proceeds to relief funds for victims of the fires. We were delighted to spend our money to help the economy. Also, because tourism was down, my husband and I were able to get into notoriously difficult to book restaurants and wineries. It was a win-win!

 

A Spiritual Director helps lead me beside quiet waters.

I kept hearing this term “spiritual director” and wanted to know more. I began researching what spiritual direction is, and why one would use a person for this (here are 15 reasons why .)

After learning more, I decided I wanted to find one. Through my writing group, I found an incredible spiritual director. She says this about it:  “We’re not meant to do this alone. We’re much better together. Spiritual direction is an ancient practice which some call soul friendship, others call holy listening. I love the concept of being a Friend of the Bridegroom. As a spiritual director, my prayer is that I may create space for you to meet with the One who calls himself the Lover of your soul.”

My time with her is life-giving and soul filling.

 

A cake made with olive oil tastes delicious.

I know, we normally think of butter or regular vegetable oil when baking a cake; however, this recipe for chocolate olive oil cake from the popular food blog Smitten Kitchen is a winner. I have made this yummy cake three times using gluten-free flour. It’s extra moist and very chocolatey!

Watching a community come together after a disaster is a beautiful thing.

As you most likely saw/read on the news, Montecito suffered two horrible disasters- a crazy wildfire and devastating mudslides. Although I live about an hour north, the Santa Barbara area is close to my heart. I went to university there, fell in love with my husband there, and travel down there often. In fact, my husband and I stayed there at our favorite inn for four nights shortly after the flooding.

Most places were closed in Montecito, and tourism was down in Santa Barbara. While at the Inn, we met a man who had a gas line rupture after a boulder crashed through his house. His home erupted into flames and burned to the ground. He was severely burned, and his wife was in the hospital with broken bones. After he was released from the burn center, he came to stay at the Inn. His neighbor had booked a room for him and had been visiting his wife in the hospital. Neighbors taking care of neighbors-so wonderful!

At the beginning of this month, I went to Montecito for a solitude retreat. I booked an Airbnb and spent a few nights there. As I dined in the local restaurants and hung out in a coffee shop, I overhead so many conversations of people inquiring of each other’s homes and families. There were banners all over the little community with the hashtag #montecitostrong, and I listened to stories of people helping people. They are determined to recover as a community and rebuild their city.

Diamond engagement rings are a scam.

My son mentioned this to me one day. He told me the history behind diamond engagement rings, and I had NO idea. While diamonds have appeared in jewelry since the 13^th century, the tradition of diamond engagement rings is much more recent. It wasn’t until the late 1930s, thanks to a small company named De Beers, that the idea of a diamond engagement ring started getting pushed to the mass market. I found this video about it so interesting. Apparently, diamonds are not the best  investment and are not as rare as we are told to believe. I won’t be getting rid of my diamond ring anytime soon, but I did find this fact fascinating. What do you think about this?

There is a great website for fantastic deals on international flights.

Normally, I use Google flights to find the best prices, but this website will collect the best fares from your home airport and send you deals via email. I use the free version and have seen some incredible bargains! My husband and I are planning a big trip for our anniversary this year, so we keep looking for a deal to where we want to travel.

Oil is the best facial cleanser for me.

I began using the oil cleansing method nightly, and my skin feels fantastic. While it may sound like an oxymoron, it really works. Two things I love about cleaning my face this way are that the oils are all natural, and I am exfoliating without scrubbing.

Here is how I cleanse my face at night: First, I make sure my face is dry. Then I take two pumps of oil  (you can use coconut oil, too) and massage it all over my face for about 3-5 minutes. Next, I take a fresh washcloth, rinse it under hot water, and lay it over my face for a minute or so. Then I use the cloth to gently wipe off the makeup. I rinse the cloth and repeat a few times. My skin feels so clean and soft afterward! Have you tried oil cleansing?

 

Now it is your turn to tell me what you learned this winter. Please comment below to share. I look forward to reading!