Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - 80
SINGING IN THE GARDEN
Text and art by GINNY NEIL
Stepping Out
F
irst there was hygge-the Danish notion that creating cozy
spaces in the winter helps keep
spirits bright and cheerful through
dark days. I love a good collection of
candles as much as the next person, but candles
imply indoor living and I don't want to hibernate my whole winter away. So, when I read an article
about another possible craze for Americans that comes to
us from the far north-friluftsliv (pronounced free-looftsliv)-I knew I had found my peeps.
This Norwegian word translates loosely as " open air
living " and was coined by poet, Henrik Ibsen, to describe the value of spending time outdoors for spiritual
and physical wellbeing. The hardy Northerners practice
it in all weather. In fact many companies block out time
during the week just so their Norwegian workers can
take a hike.
80
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There's no such thing as bad weather-
only inappropriate clothing.
-Sir Ranulph Fiennes
I'm delighted to discover that I have a
new word to describe my soul. I am a friluftsliver and I think I have all those years spent at
summer camp to thank for it. I lived in a t-pee, a
Hogan, and a pop-up tent through heat, mosquitoes
and drowning storms, and it's all golden in my memory.
Although I have never camped in the winter, I love trekking around and spying on Earth's garden as it chills out.
My editor, Kurt, told me that he and his wife go out
every weekend, if not to the mountains, at least to the Roanoke River Greenway and on toward downtown where
they will stop for a hot drink or lunch. Even in snow
they've walked the Appalachian Trail. He raved about
" windy, winter views " as the reward for a snowy hike.
If hiking isn't your thing, you can still enjoy some
friluftsliv in your own garden. Walk briskly around your
yard. Look for signs of small mammals. Do you spot
chewed bark or twigs? Deer, rabbits and mice have prob-
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Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021
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Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - Cover2
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Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - Cover3
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