winter and peppermint feelings: unboxed thoughts

it is getting cold out here.  i don't know where you live, dear reader, but the fact of the matter is the temperature is dropping and unless we change the way we have lived the past six months, we are in trouble.

but temperature is only a part, a fragment.  yes, it defines the entire paragraph- but the cold is only the first sentence.  winter is not just for coats and gloves and scarves, but for hot drinks, fresh music, and new flavors.

the smell of peppermint in everything, why yes i do love peppermint- thank you so much for asking, reader.  peppermint mocha, peppermint sticks, peppermint steak- well maybe not the last one.

the sound of indie folk music that for some reason fits so well into the winter season with its thin sound and calming melodies.  i can feel the temperature drop to snow levels as i listen to this playlist now.

everything seems new.  not list when spring comes and everything we knew has life breathed back into it, coming to life like a newborn- not like that. no, this is different.  this is new in a way similar to when you move to a new town- it has been there for years and years but everything is new to you, in an old sense.

if you have known me for longer than the warmer seasons, you know that i am a fan of jackets, but not a fan of long sleeve shirts that meet the wrist.  basically: button downs are rolled up.  no exceptions.  long sleeve t shirts are reserved for times when i have the flu and am concerned i may be dying.  sweaters- negotiable, but at somepoint in the day my elbow must meet the cuff of the shirt.  
jackets. jackets everywhere.  hoodies and coats and cardigans and blazers.  cotton and leather and wool and some sort of material that might be made of picnic blankets.

so what is winter?  beyond the cold.  is it just the things listed in this poorly organized post?  or is it the epicenter of family get togethers?  my family is incredibly close, my farthest aunt and uncle live only two hours away.  me and my wife haven't gotten to see them as much while we lived in beaufort, but winter was always the signal for family gatherings, from thanksgiving to christmas to family reunions to family additions which coincidentally occurred on a completely different gathering day.

which of these is the reason your heart skips a beat when you feel the temperature drop? maybe all.  maybe none.  maybe you have a write in option for egg nog and yule logs.  maybe your favorite part is the christmas eve eve tradition you have with your best friend where you go to jonesville and exchange gifts.  who knows- it isn't for me to decide.  but for me, well, it is simply an exciting feeling to feel that first cold and dry breeze come over the mountains.

*i am currently listening to Blaine Hogan's Winter playlist: Winter Is Coming.