Note From the Publisher
When I was young, I used to dread the months of January and February. The gloomy gray skies and the arctic temperatures tended to depress my spirit. Now I look forward to that time and get happy.
Most of the business owners of Brown County use this time to recharge their batteries. The rest of the year we operate in a frantic mode to get the sales and supply the goods to the tourists. In winter we slow down and look back and what we have done. Yes, we had a good year! We worked hard and it paid off.
I spend a lot of time looking out my office windows into the trees. The bare trees that top the hills near my home make the landscape seem like a little mountain range. The view calms me. I take the time to think about what might make my life simpler and more peaceful. I imagine paths of less resistance. Sometimes I have epiphanies during these quiet times— a better way to create an ad, a new idea for a column, even a new publication.
As I hibernate in my home I start to see the clutter that was overlooked during the other months. I sort through all the clothes, do-dads, and books. Community Closet gets all the stuff I de-clutter still worth something to somebody. My house gets a facelift and I feel spiritually cleansed when I let go of things.
I live in a little house that was built during the Depression, with small rooms and very small closets. A few pairs of overalls and some Sunday best clothes were all that were needed back then.
Letting go of stuff makes me feel good. We moved a lot when I was growing up and I took only the things that mattered most with me. We traveled lightly. I learned to narrow my pile of stuff to the things that make me smile. Did I ever really like the way that sweater fit me? Gone. Do I use this box anymore? Gone. Do I want to keep that piece of pottery? Of course!
Letting go is relaxing. People come to Brown County to let go, even in the winter. They can get away from all the hassles of the electronic age to take a hike, or look out the window. Watching a fire burn as the wood changes color and makes noises sure beats looking at a TV screen with the world’ s news and reality shows.
Take time to enjoy the peace of the winter months in Brown County. I do.
— Cindy Steele
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Jan./ Feb. 2016 • Our Brown County 13