Seasonal Help

Ten (Local) Tips to Fight the Winter Blahs

By Guy Fletcher and Nancy Luse

Winter, ain't it a kick? The cold, the gray skies, the late-afternoon darkness. Did we mention the cold?

Oh, yes, winter is nothing but a giant ball of fun.

The good news is—and we realize that we are totally tempting fate here—it has been years since any kind of significant snowfall has hit the area. In fact, the last reported blizzard was eight years ago when 30 inches of snow were dumped on parts of Frederick County … which probably means we are due.

But winter doesn’t have to be a complete downer. There are many things you can do right now, right here in Frederick County, to brighten your day, even without sunny skies. Here are some suggestions, with varying degrees of commitment, that might help with a gray mood and even give some hope that spring is not too far away.

1. Try a New Place

We know, it’s awesome when you find your favorite restaurant. Maybe they make the perfect steak or have a server who feels like family. There is comfort and few risks in the reliability, especially when a meal and financial transaction are involved.

But how about broadening your menu? Start with geography. Many who live in or near Downtown Frederick unknowingly—or perhaps knowingly?—limit themselves to the restaurants and bars in that area. You can’t blame them; almost any kind of cuisine is available without leaving the city limits. But how about checking out some of the great restaurants in areas like Middletown, Urbana, Thurmont and Mount Airy, among others?

The same is true for county residents reluctant to head Downtown, often because they think parking is difficult. The truth is parking is actually plentiful in the city if you know where to look. Our current favorite is the West Patrick Street Garage, just a block from the heart of Downtown. On the east side of Downtown, take advantage of East All Saints Street Parking Garage.

2. Discover Your Past

Genealogy has gotten a boost in recent years with the plethora of online tools and DNA tests that can help you find out if you are related to royalty or just royally common. Sites like Ancestry.com and 23andMe are natural starting points to look up your own family’s history.

But Frederick County also has numerous local resources in your hunt for ancestors, including Heritage Frederick’s archives and the FamilySearch Center at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One of the best places to start your search is the Maryland Room at the C. Burr Artz Public Library, where you will find a wide range of local, state and national resources. “Beginning your genealogy journey? There are several things you should do to get started and they are things you can do from the comfort of your own home,” says Mary Mannix, Maryland Room manager.

Mannix says some tips for getting started include writing down everything you know about your family and ancestors; interviewing relatives and writing down or recording their recollections; and searching your home for documents and artifacts like birth records and family photographs that can be photographed or scanned.

3.Take a Hike

No, seriously! You might not think hiking is particularly suited for this time of year, but there are some amazing, exhilarating opportunities out there to take to a trail and fill your lungs with some crisp winter air.

Still not buying?

“A winter hike may be the perfect remedy for combatting those winter blues,” says Julie Christiansen, founder of Frederick-based hiking guides Hippy Viking Adventure (hippyviking.com). She acknowledges “it’s easy to lose the motivation to get outside when the days get shorter and the weather gets colder,” but adds that hiking this time of the year has many health benefits, including reducing stress, burning calories and helping with sleep. Bonus: The trails are less crowded and there are no mosquitos or ticks!

If you do plan a winter hike, Christiansen offers the following: check weather conditions ahead of time; have a reliable navigation tool; dress in layers and adjust layers; stay hydrated and bring snacks; plus protect your feet with wool socks and insulated hiking boots.

“So, get dressed and get outside this winter!” she says.

4. Go Back to School

They say learning lasts a lifetime. Frederick Community College offers a broad range of continuing education and workforce development courses in areas such as the building trades, computers and technology, and licensure, and hospitality, culinary arts and tourism.

But maybe you are looking for something to simply round out your cultural experience in a stress-free environment. Then check out FCC’s Institute of Learning in Retirement (ilrfcc.org) where you can find classes as varied as wine tasting, writing a family history and designing greeting cards.

Although aimed at those 55 and older, anyone 16 and older can take classes in the Institute of Learning in Retirement. In addition, FCC also offers noncredit courses to adults with intellectual disabilities to support independence at home, work and in the community.

5. Give a Hand

The holidays are the busy season when it comes to spreading goodwill to others, but the needs in our community exist all year long. How about donating your time at the local food bank or helping pets waiting for adoption at an animal shelter? It will make you feel good and there are countless nonprofit organizations that could use your help today.

The issue is, how do you get started?

The first step is finding an organization whose mission fits closely with your own values. Volunteering is much easier and rewarding when you are a true believer in the cause. The United Way of Frederick County maintains an online list of volunteer opportunities at www.justserve.org/unitedwayoffrederickcounty for organizations such as Frederick Health Hospice and many others.

“Frederick Health Hospice … volunteers provide a little companionship for patients or stay with patients for a few hours so an overwhelmed family member can receive a well-deserved break,” says Dianne Elizabeth, volunteer coordinator. “Some volunteers are musically inclined and will play an instrument for patients or sing for them ….  We can also use hand-made blankets and shawls and other ‘comfort craft’ items.”

6. Plan to Plant

Christmas catalogues that once filled your mailbox are now being replaced by gardening advertisements, hawking everything from spiffy bird baths and whirligigs to must-have plants and seeds. Mere thoughts of digging in the dirt are a salve for gardeners’ souls.

We are fortunate in Frederick to have four distinct seasons, although winter often gets short shrift (will we ever get a big snowstorm again?) But springs here are lovely and now is the time to start planning, even if it just means putting the dates for the Beyond the Garden Gates Tour on your calendar. Imagine how spirits will lift when seeing the first green shoots in the seedling pots sitting in your sunniest room or signing up with a local farmer to do a CSA.

Backyard winter gardens also have a beautiful, peaceful allure, especially if you’ve left dried foliage and seed pods for the birds. And just maybe there will be a fresh blanket of snow adding a beautiful touch.

7. Start a Journal

Remember when you were a kid and had a diary with a lock on it to guard all your innermost thoughts? And how your brother picked the lock, spilling all your secrets, forcing you to bash him with your lunchbox at the bus stop where mom couldn’t see?

Then there are the people like Jacob Engelbrecht who recorded Frederick County history from 1819 to 1878 in his hard-bound diary, capturing Civil War history along with the ordinary activities of his life, including what the weather was like. 

This could be the year you start your own journal, either with pen and paper or on your computer.
Certainly, there are plenty of things to write about these days, not only capturing the events themselves, but also your reaction to them. Who knows, you may accidentally leave your diary on a park bench to be found by a Hollywood producer looking for a fresh plotline.

8. Get Artsy

You see a painting and say to yourself, “I could do that.” Well, honestly, it isn’t that easy, and if we are being truthful here, there might be a great deal of natural talent at work, as well.

But don’t get discouraged. The good news is there are many local places in which even the novice artist can learn crafts such as painting, drawing, ceramics, including schools, colleges and galleries. Frederick is fortunate to have a resource like the Delaplaine Arts Center, which in addition to its gallery space, is also known for its workshops and classes for teens and adults. Go to delaplaine.org/instruction/classes-workshops to find a class that suits your needs.

Learning about art is more than about making a pretty painting to hang on your wall, even if it’s just dogs playing poker. Numerous medical studies have shown that participating in artistic endeavors can enhance physical and emotional wellbeing.

9. Dream of Faraway Places

Jimmy Stewart’s character George Bailey noted that “the three most exciting sounds in the world are anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles,” just the inspiration needed to cure any travel bug you contract this winter.

The first step is the obvious one of deciding where you want to go. Maybe it’s a destination that has always called to you and this year you’re going to answer. Or perhaps you are open to suggestions and can be talked into a trip that’s totally out of your usual world. The planning stage also includes your budget. This is the time to start socking away travel funds or making payments on a cruise or other guided tour.

If foreign travel is on your list, make sure you have an up-to-date passport. If yours has expired, renew it now. Wait times have increased in recent years and you don’t want to miss out on a sudden travel bargain just because you don’t have a passport.

Just knowing there’s a trip right around the corner makes the cold, gloomy winter days more bearable.

10. Learn a Language

Knowing a second language can come in handy for travelers. Even if you stay put in Frederick County, being bilingual or knowing how to communicate in sign language is very helpful. Also, studies suggest that those who can speak at least two languages are able to better focus on a single task. 

FCC offers beginners and advanced sessions in French, Italian, Spanish and American Sign Language, as well as an introduction to Arabic. Classes concentrate on conversations and basic communication.

Rosetta Stone and Babbel are also options if you don’t want to attend a class and Frederick County Public Libraries (FCPL) offers the online Mango Languages. “Mango is a great way to learn a language. It is used by our residents who are preparing for business trips, family vacations, or study abroad. It is also used to supplement school studies, or by those who simply want to stay sharp and have fun learning a new language,” says Kelly Cambrel, communications manager for FCPL. 

Mango, which is free with your library card, offers more than 70 world languages and dialects, including three Native American languages. The most popular language is Spanish, followed by French and Japanese, Cambrel says. “One FCPL customer living in South Korea said, ‘Tell whoever buys the Mango program it is really good. I’m with soldiers who purchased Babbel and Duolingo, and now they want to use my Mango instead. It really helps.’”