Here I was thinking that “nesting” was a term applied to pregnant women like myself when we do silly things like pack a hospital bag one month before we actually plan on going to the hospital, or stay awake and night thinking that all of the toys should be cleaned out under the furniture before the baby comes home.
Nesting, apparently, is simply a fall activity. It’s storing up all of your bounty from the summer growing season and packing in for the cold winter that is as sure as labor pains. It’s having constant aromas of apples, pumpkins, beets, and stews coming from the kitchen
Nesting is something that mice have been doing in abundance in our house this fall. We’ve found their nests in the toy boxes, and behind pillows on the couch, and my personal favorite, my laundry pile that has only been sitting there for less than one day. Twice now I’ve found one of their “storing up” in sheets or towels that have been on my couch for a matter of hours. O, the joys of fall on a farm!
It’s not just me, and it’s not just the mice. The men in this house have been doing their own nesting as well.
With winter upon us, it’s time to finish up the huge project of getting wood ready for the fireplace.
Lena looks on. Of course, she doesn’t have much nesting to do.
And it’s tough for a farmer to get along without his sidekick.
I have to admit, I’ve grown to look forward to the winters. As Knut’s Uncle Rolf so poetically told me last year, the first good snowfall feels like tucking a rowdy child into bed. In the winter, Knut doesn’t stack wood. He puts a log on the fire while taking a break from playing a board game with the kids. It’s a time of some work (it never completely disappears!), and some skiing, some sipping hot chocolate, some Christmas music, some family, some travel. But first, we must all finish building our nests for the lovely season of rest that is soon upon us.
Leave a Reply