Winter

'You have been warned,' concluded the weather man last night.  He had spent the previous five minutes telling us all that we would wake to a world in the grip of an icy hand and to make sure we had a shovel and some blankets in the car, should we feel compelled to venture out.  So exciting, but not really likely on the island; or at least not just yet.

  I shivered as I sleepily shrugged off the warmth and comfort of my heavy duvet and pushed my feet into my soft slippers early this morning.  I remembered the words of the weather man and shuffled to the window in excited anticipation of a white world awaiting me.  I opened the curtains a chink and peered out onto the grey garden.  Nothing.  No snow or frost.  There had been a sprinkling of snow in the night as there was a tell-tale crust of half melted ice, clinging to clumps of grass like crystallised sugar.  The air nipped at fingers and toes and we dressed with warmth in mind; out came gloves, hats and scarves, thick socks and boots.

 The sky was dark as I dropped Pea and H1 off at the bus stop and drove back down the lanes to H2's school.  It cast a jaundiced light over the landscape and blotted out the mountains and sea.  As we drove, it began to rain.  Little droplets at first, nothing to bother about.  The clouds gathered overhead and birds criss-crossed the lane, back and forth, seeking shelter in the hedges.  The rain got heavier and turned to hail and sleet.  It swept across the lanes and gathered in little pockets against fallen leaves and twigs. It drummed on the car and we slowed down in order to witness the wonder of nature.  The sky around us was a dark, muddy brown and the clouds contorted and shifted their shapes as we looked. The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come trailed thin, black fingers over the horizon and gave the earth her chilly touch.  Branches of trees were slick with moisture and leaves clung on bravely, knowing their time was short.  Just ahead a split in the clouds gave a glimpse of brilliant blue and the promise of a bright day.  Later as the clouds lifted and parted, they showed what they had been hiding all morning.

As Night had lifted her inky black cloak, Dawn had carefully placed a blanket of white over the mountains, smoothed the creases and plumped up the edges.

In between hail showers and blue skies, I went off to town to do a bit more Christmas shopping.  I also needed to buy a new vacuum cleaner as my old one gave up the ghost on Saturday morning.  Having not vacuumed since then, I was going a bit mad over the amount of dog hair and bits on the carpet, so a new cleaner was imperative.  I purchased said item and carried on shopping.  There were more people out there than usual and they seemed to have a sense of urgency about them.  I want to buy nice things for the people I love and I want them to be happy, but I absolutely refuse to get caught up in a frenzy of spending too much money on things no one really wants.  I don't want to be responsible for cluttering up peoples' homes with tat they have no use for, therefore I am careful and probably spend far too long deliberating over whether to buy a particular thing or not.  I did the same over the Christmas wrapping paper and ribbons: do I buy what I like or do I buy what is suitable for the recipient of my gift?  Decisions, decisions!  Tough life, eh?!  Anyway, in the end I got red with snowflakes for the grown-ups and Santa and snowmen for the children.  Should keep everyone happy.

Next, I went in search of jumpers.  I love jumpers and look forward every year to the right weather to wear them.  Today it is here.  As I have lots of things to spend money on at the moment; some nice, some not, I thought I should probably go for a poke round the charity shops for my jumpers, rather than buying new.  I will buy new for my children, but not myself, not today.  I found one jumper and two cardigans that I paid £7.50 for, so that saved me a truck load of dosh that I then spent on two hunks of minted lamb at the butcher on the way home.  The boys will be delighted that I bought second hand clothes in order to give them a good tea!  That's what mums do.

Do you remember that I had ordered a copy of Harry Potter in Welsh?  Well, it came!  H2 had it as his school reading book a few weeks ago and I'd had a go at reading it then, but I couldn't understand a word.  Well, this time round I took my time and discovered that actually, it isn't all that hard.  Providing I have my dictionary and the children with me!  It's nice to read things in a different language and it is helping me understand Welsh more.  My ultimate goal is to speak Welsh with everyone and not care if I go wrong!

I recently met a friend of my mum's, who's daughter-in-law has written her first novel.  She lent me a copy and I sat down on Saturday afternoon, all wrapped up in a big jumper, chunky socks and a blanket and read and read and read.  I spent Sunday morning in my bedroom doing the same thing and snarling at anyone who came tapping on my bedroom door asking for things. It was such a good book and so cleverly written, I just didn't want to leave it.  It is a little odd to say the least, but now and then, I like to read something that isn't about real life and couldn't possibly happen.  It allows your mind space to wander and wonder, which I like.

I highly recommend it, if you like the strange and unusual.

The days are full of books, blankets, jumpers and snowy mountains.  Winter is here, as Puppy demonstrates so beautifully...

Enjoy your Winter evening and thank you for reading.xxx