January: A Planner

Okay, I'm not off to a good start. It's January 5th and I actually have no planner yet (it's my idea of forcing myself to abandon my paper planner and use Google tools on my Smartphone)...but, here's a list of the things I'm hoping to do this month:

• Ice skate. A lot. Maine is notorious for ice rinks. Sure, there are some of those fancy kind with zambonis and all. But, more often than not you'll find towns flooding their recreation field or town green to make way for ice skating. And, many a Maine-r floods their own backyard. The rationale? It's cold here - make the best of it! If you live in Maine and are looking for a place to skate, check out this listing of known Maine ice rinks (indoor and out).
• Sled. A lot. Again, it's cold and snowy in Maine. We could sit inside and feel sorry for ourselves, or get out and enjoy it. 
• Ski. Again....I grew up skiing in Maine. Largely at Mt. Abram and Sugarloaf (and, please don't even think of letting that news about the lift collapse intimidate you - it is a fabulous ski resort). My new favorite ski destinations? Saddleback Mountain and Camden Snowbowl. Saddleback, thanks to its recent change of ownership, has become a super family-friendly mountain with a fantastic ski lodge. The Camden Snowbowl? Well, maybe not the best skiing in the world. But, it's the United States' most eastern ski resort - and you can see the ocean while you ski. It's where the mountains meet the sea--and, I'm not sure if you've picked up on this or not, but that's a theme in my life (my husband is from the mountains; and I'm from the sea).
• Cook. Again, the cold theme kicking in here. :) I love to cook soup and my inlaws got me a cookbook I've been dreaming of. Sunday Soup: A Year's Worth of Mouth-Watering, Easy-to-Make Recipes Organized by season, the book is full of yummy sounding soups. And, the ingredient list won't send you scurrying around from store to store.
• Knitting or Felting or Something. Man, it feels like months since these hands have done anything but write, change diapers and fold laundry. It's time to dig into a project.
• Finish my daughters' Shutterfly calendar (again, not a good sign...). Each year I make a wall calendar that features photos of that month from the year before. It's my version of a scrapbook. And, please don't tell my kids about scrapbooks, 'else they'll be sorely disappointed because I'm not doing any.

What's on your January Planner? And, speaking of planners...what do you use as a planner?

January - Updike's Take

In keeping with tradition here at Maine-ly Home, here's John Updike's take on January. If you haven't gotten your hands on A Child's Calendar, make it a resolution. It's a great book of monthly poems by John Updike with lovely illustrations depicting Vermont family life. I was introduced to the book via my daughter's Montessori school where the kids memorized the poems each month (talk about precious!).

January

The days are short,
The sun a spark
Hung thing between
The dark and dark

Fat snowy footsteps
Track the floor,
And parkas pile up
Near the door.

The river is
A frozen place
Held still beneath
The trees' black lace

The sky is low.
The wind is gray.
The radiator
Purrs all day.