126. Winter Thrive Guide (Season 8 Finale)

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Mat: I’m Mat Zucker and this is Cidiot: Learning to Live and Love Life in the Hudson Valley.

Welcome to the Season 8 finale of Cidiot, the podcast for those of us who moved to the country and are still occasionally surprised that nature happens.

We started the season with Will Forge's Hudson Valleys reveries, and that was “Hudson Valley Winter” by poet Jennifer Rodrigues.

We’ve had an incredible season exploring the "Creative Human" journey. We’ve talked about having No Set Path and the importance of just showing up. But let’s be real: as the "Big Grey" settles over the Catskills and the sun starts setting at what feels like 2:00 PM, "showing up" gets a lot harder when you have to shovel the driveway first. Some of you have really long driveways plus many here aren’t paved so it makes a mess with rocks and dirt.

To wrap up the season, I’ve put together a survival guide for the "Cidiot" facing their first—or fifth—Hudson Valley winter. Tip 1 is physical readiness. Tip 2 is creative resilience. Tip 3 is social warmth.

Okay, Tip 1: The Hardware (And the Hearth) First, let’s talk gear. You need a generator, a sturdy pair of boots, and enough orange clothing to ensure a hunter doesn't mistake you for a very tall, confused deer. But the real survival tool? Fire.

Back in our Tivoli home, the wood-burning stove in the living room was the heart of the house. We’re actually installing one in our new place right now because, honestly, there is nothing like a crackling fire to make you forget that the wind is currently trying to peel the siding off your house. It’s the ultimate "Cidiot" meditation.

If you don’t have your own hearth yet, go "fire-hopping." Grab a glass of cool-climate Syrah by the pretty fireplace at Neverstill Wines in Hudson, or go full "moody novelist" in the lobby of The Maker Hotel. It’s much cheaper than buying a cord of wood, and someone else cleans up the ash.

Tip 2: The "Room of Requirement" When the cabin fever sets in—and it will—you need a destination. Earlier this season, we talked about libraries as the rooms of requirement, talking to the executive director of the Mid-Hudson Library system. In the winter, these are literal lifesavers. Whether it’s the Starr Library in Rhinebeck or your local branch, it’s a place to exist in public without spending twenty dollars on a latte. It’s the community hub that reminds you that other people still exist, even if they are all wearing three layers of wool. Bookstores could go in this category too. Rough Draft in Kingston is a favorite place to hang out, and there’s new Books & Cake in Hillsdale.  IN hudson there’s Spotty Dog Books & Ale, which like Rough Draft, is a bar and bookstore. Perfect.

Tip 3: Don’t Become a Hermit It is so tempting to lean into the "Duffle" lifestyle and just hibernate until April. But remember what Brian Shaefer told us: community is built by the people who show up. Volunteer at the food bank. Take a class at The Yoga House. Force yourself to go to that local gallery opening. I don’t ski, but I walk. The winter is long, but it’s shorter when you’re sharing a drink with a neighbor who is also complaining about their driveway. And if you don’t know your neighbors, then you’re still a cidiot and drop a card in their mailboxes wishing them a happy new year and introduce yourself and your email. And if you’re feeling like a gift-giver, pie works for everything up here.

We started this season with Reveries, and we’re ending it with reality.

Living here is a practice. Whether your path is clear or you’re still hacking it out of the brush, you’re doing it. You’re a Cidiot, and you’re home.

Thanks for a great Season 8. I’m going to go stare at my new wood-burning stove now. Go to cidiot.com for the full back catalog, give us a quick review, and stay warm out there. Come visit.

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