Now is the winter of our discontent

I feel it in my fingers..... I feel it in my toes.

Winter is here. The scent of mulled wine drifts through your snot-laced nostrils and you haven't seen your upper thighs for weeks. Salad is out, soup* is in.

*When I say soup I mean sticky date pudding.

I have written a few posts about the seasons and the winter because has such a great effect on our daily environment and activities; just take a look at any day in the U.K. over 23 degrees where everyone is compelled to lay shirtless in parks and get out the kaftans they bought on a girls weekend in Lanzarote (Lanza-grotty.)

After enduring two northern hemisphere winters, one in Denmark where I was able to move around the academy where I was living via tunnel and never have to go outside, I realised the value of vitamin D-eterminaton to survive the winter. 

Whilst I love building a hibernation nest out of blankets, movies, salty snacks and cats and waiting for the leaves to turn green again, this winter, I'm determined to make the most of it and make the gray days great.  

That's right. Layering up with colourful knits and scarves and socks over mittens over tights hand knitted into a mermaid tail, or something like that. 

Going to movies, galleries, plays, night markets, night meerkats, and every pub within a 2km radius. 

Hot yoga, hot dogs, hot flannels, or combine them all by doing hot down dogs wearing flannel. 

What ever it takes so that you aren't shaking from shivering but shaking from embracing and laughing with your friends, your lover or the friendly person in the plane isle next to you who loaned you a pen and because the flight only has 80 people you are all friends. Oh whoops that was just me. I think you get it. 

Don't hold back, lean into it. Get excited about the fact that it's dark and cold but you are going to layer up like a wedding cake and go walking when everyone else is inside. There's no harm in a chicken parmigiana (unless it's not free range chicken then we have an ethical dispute which is grossly off topic.) But I can't wait to go crazy for curries and stews and spices, the ones that make your nose and eyes water and put hairs on your chest, which is needed this time of year. 

We may be in the winter of our discontent but I'm hot with enthusiasm and want to spread the heat. 

Join me! 

Jj