Winter, 2013

Snow flurries breezed over our hillside and into the valley this past week, and though the land isn’t white by any means, we’re only 6 weeks from solstice, and the shorter days and colder nights bring us closer to the bare quietness of winter.  This will be our fourth winter in the yurt, and inside we are making some changes.

It’s Waylon’s second winter in the yurt, but first as a toddler.  He’s not one to sit still unless he’s snuggling in for a book (and even then, he’s always ready to go grab more books and bring them back to us to read).  He walks in circles around the yurt, climbs on anything he can, and is reaching higher everyday to pull down whatever it is that’s just out of reach.

So, to make the yurt more toddler-friendly, and winter ready, we’ve made a few changes…

• We put a door on the yurt!When our dogs broke the screen door this summer, we replaced it with a blanket (very traditional!).  The solid door needed some repairs and re-painting, and it took until October to finally get around to it (though we could have used it during some torrential rain storms when water pounded right through the blanket and onto the floor).  The door used to be a lovely antique shade of green, but we only had one color of paint on hand, and so “grandma’s sweater” blue now graces our door, and I have to say, I love its brightness.

• A homemade railing for the lofted bed~When the heat of summer rolled in and the lofted bed became too stuffy and hot, we moved our sleeping quarters down to the futon.  No more, though!  Edge built a safety railing for the loft and our toddler who loves to test the limits.  With the futon as a couch again, we’ve re-claimed some space on our “main floor.”

• A play nook for Waylon~With a little cleaning out and rearranging, the space under the lofted bed is now a play nook for Waylon.  With a bookcase, his toys, an oversized pillow, and a string of Christmas lights, I often look over while I’m making dinner or cleaning up to see him in the nook pulling books down and banging on a drum.  (Of course, the dogs appreciate the pillow, too).

And then there are the little things, like doing dishes every day, sweeping each night, and keeping the dining table relatively clutter-free (relatively).  As we nestle in, creating a nest that we can all find space in is truly important to add peace to our days.  Though we talk more and more of what kind of house we’ll build (and I admit, these conversations almost always start by me), living in the circle of a yurt brings a coziness I’ve yet to find anywhere else.

As we tucked into bed last night with the warmth of a fire in the wood stove and a bright moon just peaking over the ridge, I said, “I love our life.  I love our boy, and our yurt, and being so cozy.”  And as Edge smiled and clicked off the light, we drifted into an early winter night, ready for our fourth winter in the yurt.