I like to sit next to the fire and read, do Sudoku and crossword puzzles.

My family does a big jigsaw puzzle over the winter break which is made more challenging when the cat runs across the table. I love jigsaw puzzles, my daughter loves jigsaw puzzles, my son and husband enjoy the puzzle for brief periods of time but don’t seem to have the obsessive gene.

We play lots and lots of games – cards, board games, puzzles, street hockey, living room hockey, indoor basketball.

I bake and make a mess with my children or alone.  Cookies, leaning over gingerbread cottages with caved in candy laden rooftops, fresh bread, potato latkas, meat pies. Yum.

I go for a walk or run alone with no music and have imaginary conversations with people I miss – alive or dead. Then when I get home I send the alive ones an email or fb message to let them know that I miss them and the funny things I thought of while on my walk/run.

We ski or build forts – play in the snow. Are you hearing me Mother Nature???? Snow please.

I love to exercise or just get fresh air followed by snuggling on the couch in front of a movie (or two!).

We give to charity in a monetary or volunteer capacity and then we talk about it as a family. Afterward I find that I have a better appreciation for the delicious water that flows out of my tap and helping feels good even though it is sometimes tiring.

I smile at people, I smile at parents whose children are losing the plot at the library, in the grocery store, or in the line-up at the store.

I practice empathy when I find myself tired and making quick judgments about the person who just cut me off or stepped out in front of me in the lift line (well, I try anyway. Sometimes it takes an hour or two for the empathic response to kick in.)

I enjoy the chocolate I receive during the holidays.

When the house closes in and there are a lot of people around I remind myself that we are all different and yes, this will sometimes drive me crazy. Maybe it’s time to go outside.