At the merest hint of winter I dig out the casserole dish and throw on the polo neck jumpers. I love cold weather – the perfect excuse to make heart-warming stews and a spicy Chilli. I can’t wait to get the fire going, make a hot chocolate, get my books out and hunker down to wait out the season. You’ll not be surprised to hear that I’ve been told that I have hermit tendencies.
For me, winter is the perfect time to write. The garden can be neglected, the sun isn’t vying for my attention, I can put on a slow cooking stew and get on with writing my novel.
But now it’s early March, Spring is virtually here and I’m beginning to get restless. I’m in in need of colour and it’s time to come out of my self-enforced hibernation. I’m beginning to get bored with the winter’s brown food (as delicious as those casseroles, soups and pasta bakes are); I’m starting to crave some vitality in my food – the brightness of the fresh leaves, the deep reds of my home-grown tomatoes.
It’s not just my food that’s becoming lacklustre, my garden is still drab – browns and dull greens are still the predominant shades. There’s the occasional daffodil but we’ll have to wait a week or two for the riot of yellow or the rampaging cherry blossom.
But coming out of hibernation means that there are so many other distractions taking me away from writing that book – so many exciting seasonal foods to play with, a whole garden that needs tending, all those summer concerts, sporting events, festivals & parties asking to be attended. Maybe I should be more disciplined but right now I can’t resist the temptation that Spring and all its colour is about to put in my way.
grazethepage 