It’s taken me ages to write this first sentence. All my get-up-and-go got up and went just after Christmas. The fun and games are just a memory, and the next holidays aren’t even a glimmer on the horizon. The weather isn’t helping - it’s cold, dull and dreary outside. We had some snow overnight, but that soon turned to rain and has now disappeared completely. It wasn't anything like as pretty as the photo you can see here!
Getting motivated on this murky Monday morning is proving really hard. I’ve dug out my trusty Success Principles book by Jack Canfield for inspiration. Putting the things I need to do today in order of urgency has helped me focus and it was good displacement activity, if nothing else! I’ve also swapped my usual grey hat and black jeans for a ridiculous red cap, mulberry shirt and scarlet baggies as a gesture - though what the cat and hens will think of it is anybody’s guess.
Getting out of the office and writing in the greenhouse will give me a new perspective on things, though until the new heater arrives it’s hardly a tropical paradise. Despite that, the sight of all the plants waiting to burst into life makes me anticipate strawberries and cream, fresh figs and maybe even some bunches of grapes. There might be honey from our bees this year, too - I didn’t harvest any at all in 2012. The terrible weather put so much pressure on them I didn’t want to stress them any further. Luckily we've still got a few jars of honey left from the 2011 harvest. Honey has a long life-span, but in the great tradition of positive thinking I'm planning for bumper crops of it, and everything else as well this year.
What's your favourite remedy for the mid-winter blues? I'd love to hear it - and there'll be a little prize for a comment picked at random!
Cake, obviously! But also humour websites such as the kingdom of I Can Has Cheezburger and Buzzfeed (I've bookmarked their 25 Funniest Autocorrects of 2012 and read it whenever I'm feeling down, but FYI it's full of bad language), and any of Michael McIntyre's stand-up acts. His response to the song "Sex on Fire" had me in stitches the first time I saw it :-D Finally, to continue with your fruity theme, the thought of greengages in the summer certainly sustains me throughout the depth of winter! xXx
ReplyDeleteA long phone call with a good friend far away ... and/or, with local friends, a leisurely breakfast out (breakfasts are cheaper than other meals, plus there's a local restaurant where we can start at 8:30 am and never get kicked out - and we leave around 11:45 am just before the lunch crowd!).
ReplyDeleteHi Elanor, thanks for commenting. I love greengages! Unfortunately I missed out on buying any this year. They've got such a short season, but I'm determined to nab some this summer.
ReplyDeleteTalking of seasonal food, getting some Seville Oranges for marmalade-making has just gone to the top of my to-do list...
Hi Laney, thanks for commenting. A nice long breakfast in a restaurant (preferably at a sun-drenched pavement table, shaded by vines!) would be lovely, especially if they serve Danish pastries!
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