Rural magazine Winter Love

Because your heart lives here

RURAL MagazineÂ

Winter Love Special edition

RURAL magazine - Winter Love Special issue -January 2018

Contributors Jen Vandervoort

Donna Donabella

Tara Soucy

Marilyn Moseley

Susan Licht

Carolynn Anctil

Jean Graham

Sarah Patillo

Rosemary Higgins

Wesley Butler

We've put together a special edition of RURAL celebrating our love of winter. Many thanks to our contributors and our readers for being part of our RURAL community. If you would like more RURAL, be sure to visit us on Instagram @ruralmagazine and our FB page.

Jen @ RURAL magazine RURAL magazine page 02

RURAL magazine Winter Love Contents 02 Contributors 04 Bundle Up 05 Cold And Crisp 07 Winter Goal Keeping 08 Southern Winter 11 Outdoor Adventure 12 Winter Comforts 14 The Gift Of Winter 19 Seasonal Unity 21 Spring Baby Blues 23 Thoughts On Winter

Bundle Up

By Jen Vandervoort

It's an opportunity to capture the cold beauty of winter, get some exercise, and create warm memories.

Frozen fingers gripping the camera as it clicks away, Warm breath freezing on your scarf, the feeling returning to your fingers when you get inside, and downloading images that show the beauty of a winter's day.

https://www.instagram.com/thelightlaughed/

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Cold and crisp

https://www.instagram.com/jeanniegphotos/

By Jean Graham

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Jean Graham

Winter Goal Keeping

Photo: Rosemary Higgins Written by: Wesley Butler

Rosemary Higgins

It’s time to rejoice in the renewal the Winter season offers. When the new year rolls in, we reflect on the events of the previous year – taking a closer look at what worked for us, what could have gone better, and what future changes we’d like to see.

As the January snow glistens on the ground outside, gaze at its beauty and let the new year get to know you. Think about how far you’ve come, where you would like to be as time goes on. This is the time to make plans and be excited about what’s ahead. If you’re the visual type, list on paper what you want to accomplish the next 12 months; otherwise, go full speed ahead with the new year and make the best of whatever comes your way.

The key to meeting your goals is not to treat it as work. Instead, think of it as a fun project you’re taking on.

https://www.instagram.com/seasonofherbs/

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Southern Winter

By Sarah Patillo

Hanging low and wet, the fog lingers, making the yard glisten. The sky is gray with streaks of pale pink and just a hint of yellow, bathing everything in a soft hazy light. I can barely make out the shape of the barn between the dark and bare branches of the Pecan trees. They lost their leaves months ago, but the other trees are still full with green and red leaves, berries and wild winter flowers. Their colors have faded some, but such a pleasure to see when the chill makes us long for spring. Leaves that weren't raked in the fall are scattered around the gardens, keeping the ground warm underneath. The squirrels run through them, tossing them even more. The birds wait for the sun to peak over the treetops and warm the chilled air.

When the hazy light fades, I kneel in my garden, planting rose bushes and tulip bulbs for spring. The dirt is soft and damp in my hands.

The southern winter is a gentle one, quiet and unassuming.

www.sarahpatillo.com https://www.instagram.com/sarahpatillo/

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Tara Soucy

Jean Graham

Outdoor Adventures

By Tara Soucy

"When I think about winter in Maine my mind goes to all the challenges inherent in a cold, snowy climate and the beauty of the season that can often be overlooked but it’s there in the sparkle of fresh snow, the stillness of cold mornings and pale pink skies.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mom21boy/ https://www.instagram.com/rabbitridge50/

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Winter Comforts

By Susan LIcht

Winter is the Christmas gift I look forward to receiving each year. After the hustle of the holiday season, life quiets down with the hush of a snowfall. For introverts and creatives, such as myself, it’s both a time of reflection and a time of looking ahead. There’s something comforting about being warm and cozy at home, especially during blustery snowstorms or frigid cold snaps As a photographer, there are times when exploring outdoors can be a challenge. Trudging through knee deep snow (or sometimes waist deep!), face piercing, battery draining cold, my walks are often shorter. But no less productive, as there is much beauty to be found. The icy color palette of white, gray and pastel blue. The long shadows, frosted branches, the occasional pop of a red berry encased in ice. The air is invigorating and fresh with a mixture of pine and woodsmoke. Sometimes I swear I can even smell the snow.

Then there’s the return home. Nigel Slater describes it best in his book, The Christmas Chronicles “You hang up your coat, tug off your boots, and light the fire. You will probably put the kettle on or pour yourself a drink. Not so much as a way to get warm, more to welcome yourself home. Home means more to us in the cold weather. Making ourselves comfortable is a duty.”

I’m often asked since retiring, why I haven’t moved to a warmer climate. I can’t imagine missing winter. At my age, it’s almost like returning to my childhood. A return to that magical time of wonder and excitement.

Unlike me, it never gets older.

https://www.instagram.com/susanlicht/ https://lichtyears.com/

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Susan LIcht

The Gift Of Winter

By Donna Donabella

For children, winter holds a magical quality. Something we seem to lose as we grow older thinking more about snow removal and hazardous driving conditions. Yet if we were to look back in our mind’s eye, to those childhood times, we might just see the gifts winter brings.

There is nothing more magical than snow. Watching it fall gracefully from the sky, covering all with a blanket of white. And if you look closely, each plant and tree is transformed, wiping the landscape clean, as it takes on a sparkling aura.

It seems to transform me too, reducing many of the stresses of everyday life. And walking outside brings winter’s gifts even closer. The crisp air tingling on my skin, and filling my lungs, replenishes me and fills my soul with hope.

Of course, walking in the snow creates another level of magic. I am immersed in winter's enchantment where I can’t help but make a snowball, or even a snow angel….although that may take a bit of maneuvering. Yes, winter holds us transfixed, as we take time to rest in its frozen wonderland, and are renewed with the promise of the thaw.

http://gardenseyeview.com/ http://www.livingfromhappiness.com/

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Donna Donabella

Jen Vandervoort

Jen Vandervoort

Marilyn Moseley

Seasonal Unity

By Marilyn Moseley

Seasons in the calendar are set exactly 3 months apart with each season of the year entitled to its fair share of allotted time. Yet reality and the calendar do not quite agree.

The seasons often play a game of hide and seek with each other, but none more so this year than fall and winter. Fall had delighted us with brilliant skies, vibrant colors, and crispy leaves. Quite suddenly winter arrived, stealing fall's thunderous applause from center stage. I mourned the loss of fall! But then the sun came dancing out, dazzling the world as the snow's icy embrace glistened in its warm rays.

As I watched fall and winter mingle and intertwine together in random joy, it was then that I couldn't help but embrace the beauty of each scene around me. In this moment, in the mingling of the two seasons, now joy bloomed in my heart amidst the cascade of light around me and praise rose in my heart for the One who had created it all. Winter's eagerness to please in the midst of the glorious fall became cause for rejoicing in my heart.

In this moment I rejoiced that winter had chosen to come early after all, and revelled in the beauty of the odd but stunning unity of the two seasons.

http://www.mountaintopspice.blogspot.com

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Carolynn Anctil

Spring Baby Blues

By Carolynn Anctil

The Winter season has always been a difficult one for me. Perhaps, because I was born on the first day of Spring and that's when my soul naturally flourishes.

Perhaps, Winter represents the dark side of the moon for me, the yin to my yang. Whatever the reason, I have, over the years, developed strategies for coping with Winter's chilly nature and have found ways to create pockets of warmth and beauty on even the bleakest of days.

I was a quiet child growing up in Northern Alberta. I cultivated an introspective solitude and developed an eye that was drawn to detail. I have come to believe that it is in the small comforts that solace can often be found. A cosy spot tucked under a warm throw with all the necessities of a good life within easy reach - an engaging book, a hot drink, and a cat on one's lap. I've slowly come to recognize that Winter is not without its virtues. It's Mother Nature's tough love voice, gruff and pushy, telling us, if we're willing to listen, to slow down and rest.

If allowed to reveal its gifts, Winter bears its own frosty beauty, distinctly different from any other season. Stark branches, furry with hoarfrost, are instantly transformed into temporary, fragile works of art. Frozen puddles snap and crackle under heavy boots on calm days. Winter is also a magician, of sorts, stretching time and allowing ample space for quiet reflection.

My heart will always belong to Spring, but I'm beginning to warm to Winter and its sharp edged beauty.

www.etsy.com/shop/CarolynnAnctilDesign

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Jen Vandervoort

Your thoughts on Winter We asked our Instagram and Facebook community for their thoughts on the chilly season, they assured us it's not all dark days and cold nights

vintagesparrowstudio I love Winter, the magical hush of a resting Winter ... mindfully thinking and quietly planning for when it shakes off its blankets and wakes up prepared to start again gingerfancy - I love watching the snow falling softly outside while sipping a mug of hot cocoa—with extra marshmallows.

Jeaniegphotos - I love winter snow storms because it brings out the kid in me!

lenscapeimages That magical moment when winter lays her skirts of diamonds across the snowy fields

handofbelapeck Winter grants us permission to lose ourselves in the warmest of wools

cottagemagpie I love the cozy times inside by the fire snuggled up with a favorite quilt, book and beverage. everlongardener I love to see the bones of the landscape...the rock walls, the old foundation holes. It tells a story of days gone by. ruthdenney There’s nothing like the wee hours of a winter night. The air is cold and no-nonsense and when the sky is clear, the stars and moon are sharp and piercingly bright. The only thing more humbling is the utter quiet. dianarn2627 Ode to winter... you caress us with your beauty, but let us know your strength and fury. Cover us with your snow until your seasonal time has passed _brooklyndragonfli_I love the way the snow blows and twirls along .... as I sit and watch from a cozy warm window Rural Magazine Page 23

Order your print copy of RURAL magazine today.

Our readers have been asking for a print edition of RURAL magazine...

The introductory issue of RURAL is available now. It comes with a high-end magazine finish and heavy cover. It's gorgeous.

With 24 fully illustrated pages, in an 8.5 x 11 inch format it's a beautiful tribute to Winter.

Great for gift giving, or purchase one for yourself as a keepsake, order now to get special introductory pricing. Â

Click here to order print issue

RURAL magazine Winter Love "Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour."

John Boswell.

www.ruralmag.com Jen Vandervoort