Happy Spring!  Tomorrow is the Spring Equinox,  also known as the Vernal Equinox.  That beautiful time of year when day and night are nearly equal, gently shifting us toward brighter, warmer days.

Historically, cultures worldwide have celebrated this moment as a period of renewal, growth, and reconnection to the earth. Here in the Southwest, indigenous communities traditionally mark this season with ceremonies honoring the land's fertility and the rejuvenation of life.

For me, the Spring Equinox symbolizes fresh starts and the quiet joy of observing nature awakening around us. It’s the ideal moment to pause, reflect, and thoughtfully welcome the new season into our homes and gardens.

Here are TEN beautifully simple ideas for celebrating the arrival of spring here in Prescott.  

🌿 March in the Prescott Garden
Your Monthly Garden Keeping Summary from The Whiskey Porch

​March in Prescott still brings chilly nights and the occasional winter weather, but the season is waking up fast. While spring temps tease us, remember our frost risk lingers—so hold off on tender plantings and take this month to prepare for the busy season ahead.
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🌿 January in the Prescott Garden
Your Monthly Garden Keeping Summary from The Whiskey Porch

​January in Prescott offers a peaceful, productive pause in the garden. While things may seem sleepy outside, it's actually the perfect time to plan, organize, and lay the groundwork for spring growth.
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🌿 December in the Prescott Garden
Your Monthly Garden Keeping Summary from The Whiskey Porch

​December in Prescott is a quiet, reflective time in the garden. As the season shifts into winter, your landscape settles into dormancy, and the rhythm slows down—perfect for planning ahead and enjoying the calmer pace.

Happy fall equinox to you,
​~Miriam

Love the idea of living with the seasons?  Looking for more inspiration?

You might enjoy 14 Ways to Embrace the Shorter Days of Autumn, an in-depth look at some inspired ways to jump into the season with all your heart.

It's Hygge time.

​As the seasons shift to colder and darker days, rather than yearn for the return of summer, Nordic lifestyle embraces this time with a concept known as "hygge". 

It's not just during the fall and holidays though.

For me, now that the holidays have passed and the days have settled into more of a peaceful cadence, I'm really enjoying more time and space to settle down late in the afternoon with some hot tea and a good book, and also planning and preparing more of those comfort-food meals.  

You've heard the word "hygge" I'm pretty sure.   

What is hygge, though?
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Today is a Swedish holiday known as Santa Lucia (sometimes spelled Sankta Lucia).  Lucia means light, and this is a celebration of hope and light.  It is always on the 13th of December.

This is the cultural and traditional time to celebrate the darker days of winter and the coming solstice when the days will again begin to get longer, and lighter.

This year, the Winter Solstice happens on Thursday the 21st.  

So what is the connection between Santa Lucia and the Solstice?  And how can you celebrate?

This in-between seasonal 'angst' that we can sometimes feel, right around mid-February, is real.

We've enjoyed (and survived) the holidays, the freshness of New Year has begun to wear off, and the days are ever-so-slightly getting longer. Those blue skies and sunny days are so promising.

​But, especially for us up here in the high country, the winter storms just keep popping in to remind us that it's still winter, and it's not quite time to let go of the hygge-vibe just yet.  
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Today is summer solstice.  "Midsommar" in Sweden.  I wanted to celebrate by sharing a lovely poem by an American Pulitzer prize winning artist and author who's parents were Swedish.  He lived in North Carolina and his home is now a National museum.
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However you celebrate, be sure it's outdoors and slow down to really observe and find the beauty all around you.  Let me know in the comments below what you think about this sweet poem and what you did to celebrate!

~Miriam

If you're looking for more inspiration, check out the other blog posts about Living with the Seasons here.

One of the key themes I come back to at The Whiskey Porch is "seasonal living".  It's an aspect of a Simple Lifestyle that adds texture, and color, and variety, and a natural flow to things.

When we talk about living with the seasons, what does that really mean?

To me, it's simply shifting your lifestyle with the seasons.  Doing different things in different spaces, as the seasons progress through the year.

Focusing on the connection to the landscape and the outdoors is just as important as the creature comforts and floorplan that you incorporate into your home design.  So, the interior isn't entirely separate from the outdoors and the landscape that your home sits on. 

By creating this connection intentionally, we craft a direct link between our daily activities and the cycle of the earth. 

And.  We can greatly expand the amount of living space available to us.

Let me explain.

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