Winter is officially here. There are lots of glum people because of this. Sitting at your desk after a terrific week away, looking out the window to darkness at 4.30 pm made me blue for sure. So to cheer myself up, I decided to compile a new season Reasons to be Cheerful. These are them:
- I can legitimately spend my evenings watching naff television without looking outside and thinking ‘I really should be out there doing something’.
- Making Bramley apple crumble.
- Rubbing rosemary and thyme all over rabbit, pheasant, and partridge and then scoffing them with my carrots and potatoes.
- Next year’s seed catalogues are already arriving.
- Sitting in front of the fire writing plans for next year.
- The pungency of freshly dug leeks.
- Finally getting the time to tidy up my shed and make it interesting.
- Trying to blow smoke rings with my breath on a frosty morning.
- Talking manure with Jan.
- Bagging up my summer compost.
- Sloe gin.
- Maturing chutney.
- Making loads of different soups.
- Pumpkin and sage risotto.
- Planting more raspberry canes.
- Curly Kale.
- PARSNIPS.
- Bonfire Night.
Of course, there are loads more, but these are enough to keep me dreaming during reason number 19: early nights!
