Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I Love about Winter

1. The way the animals want to snuggle. The pup will sleep under the covers, and I sometimes end up with three pets curled up with me in the armchair.
2. I can indulge my hermit tendencies without guilt. Other than feeding the chickens, I can stay indoors for days at a time.
3. Our ventless gas fireplace. It heats most of the first floor for pennies a day and is lovely to look at.
4. God, I love mohair. I pretty much live in it all winter long.
5. Frost on the windows, which is probably a sign of some sort of expensive house problem, but I prefer to imagine fairies skating over the glass.
6. I keep a twin-sized down comforter on my arm chair. The dog curls up under it, and I have my own little furnace. Every hour, he'll pop out, gasping for air, go guzzle some water, and then climb right back in.
7. Switching over to flannel sheets is one of my favorite moments of the year.
8. Our dual-controlled heated mattress pad. Much nicer than an electric blanket. I'll crank it up an hour before bed.
9. A few years ago, my metabolism changed, so now my internal thermostat doesn't seem to be bothered by the cold very much.
10. Bare branches against the sky.

I don't really mention knitting because the joints in my hands are bothered by the cold, but I do find myself wearing an awful lot of it.