January is the longest month of the year. By “longest,” I mean it’s cold, dark, and 31 days (compared to February’s 28, or 29 during leap years).

For active types, remaining engaged becomes a challenge. Running outside, biking on the frozen roadways, and other outdoor activities conducive to warmer temperatures get put on hold.

It is true that you can substitute cross-country skiing and snowshoeing for running, which is great when the snow begins piling up.

January is also a good month for hunkering down.

Peddling, but not going anywhere.

I’ve put my road bike on the indoor trainer in the basement. The beer fridge is well-stocked, and I’ll be making comfort foods like homemade granola, and an ethnic favorite of mine, sauerkraut.

It’s also a good month for getting a jump start on 2015’s reading.

A couple more random tidbits about January:

• The month’s zodiac signs are Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) and Aquarius (January 20 – February 18), which happens to be mine.
• Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was published on January 10, 1776 (the colonists waited for warmer weather before acting on Paine’s prescription, however).
• January is also National Soup Month, which seems fitting.

January is for comfort foods, like granola.

…and a well-stocked beer cooler, too!