An Unauthorized Cure for Cabin Fever

"Thank goodness for the first snow. It was a reminder - no matter how old you became and how much you'd seen - things could still be new if you were willing to believe they still mattered."

(Via creepypasta.wikia.com; photo from
 New England)





The first North Carolina winter storm of the season has arrived! What - no applause or shouts?? The storm began in the Carolinas and gained strength as it moved up the east coast, dumping around 2 feet of snow in many areas. Our storm here began with sleet and light snow on Friday, and more snow arrived on Saturday. Needless to say, this type of thing puts everything on hold here in North Carolina because we just don't have the equipment or experience to deal with it. I'll admit that the first workday when school was cancelled was fun and exciting, but after that I'm thinking "Why does everything have to STOP over just a few inches of snow?" I'm definitely ready to get back in my routine. I'm hoping that the indoor pool where I swim will be open today, but I will call first. It would be nice to at least be able to do that. Churches closed, restaurants closed, and even Starbucks opened late today. Enough is enough.

So, what is the cure for the kind of cabin fever that a storm like this causes? My nonscientific list of suggestions might help you, so read on with an open mind.

1. READ A GOOD BOOK. Perhaps the storm caught you by surprise and you don't have anything to read in the house, not even a newspaper. We haven't received our newspaper since Friday morning, so that idea might be out for you too. But I knew the storm was coming so I had two good books ready to read and I finished one of them in about two days.

2. Organize your sweaters. I did this in just a few minutes and it feels great to be able to find things more easily. Put sweaters and other clothes that you no longer wear in bags and place them in your car for donating as soon as the thrift store opens again.

3. Take your dog for a walk and watch him/her slip around while diligently searching around to do her business. Might provide a good laugh. Pets, like us, need to "use the bathroom" no matter what the weather. And your dog might actually enjoy the snow as some dogs do.

4. Watch lots of sports on TV if you have electricity. This weekend I watched the Duke men and the Duke women's basketball games on TV. And both teams won, by the way! There was also the CAROLINA PANTHERS football victory last night, so we are heading to the SUPER BOWL.

5. If you aren't afraid to drive, venture out to go to a restaurant. We found that on Saturday, IHOP was open, as they always are during weather or electricity emergencies. Their coffee is good and the pancakes flow freely. Plus, getting out of the house will do you some good.

6. Do laundry. You will feel great when you get back into routine and you have plenty of clean clothes.

7. Talk to people on the phone. Chances are, they are snowed in too, so the conversation will be good for both of you.

8. Shovel snow and dig your car out.

9. Check facebook, often!

10. Make a grocery list. Think about the meals that you wish you could cook if the grocery was actually STOCKED up.

So, I hope this list of cures for cabin fever has been of help to you. Now to get into what I've been reading. I finished listening to Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. When Brooks went to live in Martha's Vineyard in 2006, she came across a map of the island's native Wampanoag people that marked the birthplace of Caleb, the first Native American to graduate from the new Harvard College in 1665. The story is told in Puritan-like English and unveils many of the hardships that the early settlers of our country faced in the 17th century. The story is narrated by Bethia Mayfield, a teenager at the beginning of the book, who befriends Caleb even though most of the other people on the island thought of him and his people as savages. From the beginning I thought that Bethia and Caleb would end of getting married, but that is not the case. I was a little disappointed about this, but at least the story has a happy ending. I think you'll enjoy this book, especially if you like historical fiction. Try not to let all of that Puritan English slow you down too much though. I'm glad that I returned this book on CD and some children's books for students BEFORE the storm or I might have been slapped with some library fines.

Yesterday I finished a book called A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable. This is the best book that I've read for a good while, but I confess it's probably because I love historical fiction that is set in Europe. I found out about this book from Jen Coburn, the author of We'll Always Have Paris. I'm glad that I took the bait and read this book. The story begins to unfold when April Vogt, Sotheby's continental furniture specialist, travels to Paris on assignment to help organize and assess the furnishings that have been left behind in an apartment for seventy years. The apartment is located in the ninth arrondissement, and April if hypnotized by the stories that lie within the walls of this place. She ends up extending her stay in Paris so she can get some answers to the questions that she has about the previous owner of the apartment and everyone who is mentioned in her diaries. In the end she learns that no one lived in the apartment for seventy years for a good reason, but she doesn't find this out until the end of her stay. The chapters move from about the year 2010 to the 1890s quite smoothly, and so we get to actually read the diaries of Marthe de Florian that April found in the apartment. It's fun to learn what life was like in Paris during this time period, and April is entranced by everything that she learns. The book reminds me of the fun movie, "Paris at Midnight" in which the main character gets to know some of the famous writers and artists who were in Paris much earlier in time. He is thrilled to meet Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and others. If you love Paris or if you enjoy historical fiction, I recommend this book. Or, if you just enjoy love stories, this book has a little of that too.

Yesterday I started reading a nonfiction book, Paris Letters, by Janice MacLeod. As you can see, I seem to be reading a lot of books that have something to do with Paris, but this is on purpose. Since I had the opportunity to visit Paris a few years ago, I've been drawn to books that are set there. I've read books such as War Brides, All the Light We Cannot See, The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, and of course, We'll Always Have Paris. I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them.

And now, to close...stay warm!. If you live on the east coast, let me know if any of my "cures" help you get through this snow-snap.

Best wishes,

Melissa Hill
Book Blogger
www.onegoodbookblog.blogspot.com