Friday, 23 July 2010

Good things about Winter

sunny yellow doily by nana in-law
  • Dressing gowns hide a multitude of sins.
  • Steam drifting from the teapot’s spout.
  • The temperature is nicely vaso-constrictive.
  • One can ponder whether or not seasons ought to be capitalised. Depending on context they don't need to be, but I can't bring myself not to. They seem too important!
  • Electric blankets are a magnificent invention.
  • Slow-cooker bubbling away on the kitchen counter.
  • Anything red is so enlivening.
  • Flannelette pyjamas.
  • The natives are entertaining. Queenslanders complain bitterly about the cold while inappropriately attired - my Thursday carer wears a cotton short-sleeved shirt and shivers dramatically. Naked elbows and knees earn no sympathy. Put some wool on, people!
  • White orchid flowering bravely in terracotta pot by the front door.
  • Waft of wood-smoke in the evening air from the neighbours across the road.
  • Fresh parsley torn over cooked brekky on Sunday mornings.
  • Afternoon sun. Magical.

How about you? What makes your list?

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19 comments:

  1. Ah, what a lovely list. Your winter sounds like our summer ;) Nice to see you blogging again x
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  2. Lovely to get another post from you. I have a yummy, spicey chilli con carne bubbling in my slow cooker at the moment. Definitely one of the best things about winter!
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  3. I love to see snow on the mountains in winter and drinking hot tea in the evening before bed. And I actually like that the days become shorter in winter here.... it makes me feel like less time is slipping me by somehow.
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  4. I love that the snow and ice release me from the expectations of the world around me. Suddenly I'm not the only one who is limited on when and where I go, but everyone is. Hot cocoa is nice too!!!
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  5. I love the doily!

    Glad you're finding some good things to list about Winter. To echo Laurel and Anon, I think that in winter I find it very slightly easier to bear being stuck in bed - if the weather's good in summer I'm more desperate about not running around outside.

    But when it snows it's beautiful (do you get snow?). And good tea is a welcome feature all year round in my house :)
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  6. Nasim, yes, our cool temps are nothing compared to yours! I think it's cold if the indoor temp gets below 18 °C.

    Emma, glad to hear from you. Would love that recipe sometime. Do tell, were the links more obvious in the subscription email this time? I did my best to tweak things. Just wish feedburner permitted additional html.

    Laurel, snow on the mountains! I'm so jealous. I agree with you about the shorter days.

    Anon, I love that the weather conditions act as a sort of equaliser for you. "It's not me, it's the season!"

    Hello Amy, I love doilies. On grey days that yellow one reminds me of the sun. Agree with you, Lauren and Anon, there is something slightly more bearable about being confined to barracks in cold weather, hibernation feels more acceptable. We don't get snow here, not even frost, too sub-tropical.
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  7. Second the comforting smell of wood fires at dusk. I also like the licence to bake that comes with winter. Rhubarb crumble and lemon delicious are perfect...
    xo
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  8. Dear Brunswick Bake-off Committee Spokesperson, if only we were neighbours so I could be the tester for these tasty treats!
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  9. I love that in winter it is okay to be stuck indoors in fact you maybe envied sometimes.
    Kate,Scotland.
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  10. So nice to see you posting again! I've just started posting again fairly recently, too. Was nice 'speaking' to you on Twitter recently. I haven't been back much though. All the great poets there overwhelm me with the apparent ease and speed they post and I get discouraged from writing my own poems. (Not too much poetry going on right now though...the fog is too deep.).

    It's summer here and the days are flying by. Isn't that odd...stuck in bed time shouldn't go by so quickly, should it? I'm glad you are enjoying winter over there. (Or was that tongue in cheek, satirical...I can't think of the right word). I hate winter...the cold makes me feel so much worse. Snuggle down and stay cozy!
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  11. Kate in Scotland, it's fascinating that so many people have said something similar - that they don't feel so bad about being stuck indoors!

    katy, I have to remind myself to check twitter and am not on as often as I'd like. Can empathise with the deep fog. I used to hate the cold weather, but I find it easier on the OI symptoms than the extreme heat we get here in the warm season.
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  12. How nice it is to read about Winter in the midst of summer heat here in the US. I've been dreaming of sweaters. I love being able to layer clothing to get warm. To cool down in the summer, there are only so many layers one can take off before your walking the house naked. (that's a scary thought with this forty something, can't work out bod).

    PS--Your doily is lovely. Another perk of winter--crocheting with the warmth of a growing blanket on my lap.
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  13. I can't say I'm thinking about winter yet, but a lovely list to ponder when the time does come around again for us.
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  14. Kerry, I totally agree, layering for warmth is easier than trying to cool down. Wish I could claim that I made the doily, but crocheting is not yet one of my skills! I'd love to learn though.

    Stevie, thanks for dropping by, I guess you won't be thinking about cool conditions for a while yet!
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  15. glad to see some new posts from you too - loved your blog when i discovered it a little while ago but then things seemed to go silent for a while...

    love this idea - very like some things i've been doing lately and i adore the ripple effect when you ask others the question. if you don't mind i'm going to ask it on my blog with a link to here?

    (and i can tell you i'm definitely not one of those qlders in shorts! if i was actually out of the house you could spot me when you saw the person with about two layers more than anyone else).
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  16. I love that in Winter things can look as well as feel warm. I love the contrast of warm tungsten light glowing from windows against cool blue closing light of dusk. I love wearing a beanie. I love that some Melbourne bars serve mulled wine and cider. I love magnolias. I love the excitement of the spring bulbs shooting up. I also love that Winter makes us appreciate and enjoy Spring with all our senses. But most of all, I love that Winter inspires Greenwords to write such a delightful post!
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  17. Hi there kp, have never managed to be a consistent blogger (I like to call it 'slow blogging'), but I do thank you for reading despite the large gaps in posting! Of course I don't mind you asking the same question on your blog, would love to hear yours and other people's responses. I'm a multi-layerer as well. Aside from the fact that nobody needs to see my knees, I need warm clothing and lots of it.

    Ms OK, thank you for your marvellously poetic thoughts. I have been thinking about that tungsten lighting ever since, and am certainly on Team Magnolia!
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  18. just wanted to say thanks for that reply here a while ago now...i never actually got to posting about it but did think of it a lot and it gave me a renewed focus on the parts of winter i was enjoying. so thankyou!
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  19. I live in the South and summers are extremely hot…..so I love everything about the winter!! My warm, snuggly blankets, sleeping with the windows cracked, my favorite soups.

    I'm also in menopause so the cold weather really helps with the hot flashes! LOL
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