I am used to toughing things out - but I am not used to a winter that shows so little sign of shifting. By my calculations, since February we have had approximately 4 sunny days with anything approaching springlike warmth, we have had two or three sunny days with biting winds and freezing temperatures, and the rest of the time it has been largely overcast, when not actually raining, snowing or sleeting.
It is true that the plants in the garden are making slow progress, the snowdrops have only just ceased to flower - whereas usually they are over by my birthday in this area. The camellia finally opened its first flower on March 21st - the day after this year's Vernal Equinox - and probably is now regretting it as we are suffering 30 mph easterly winds, with snow from time to time and sub-zero temperatures.
So far I have only once had coffee in the garden. Next week looks a bit better, with temperatures heading for 4 degrees - and some "sunny periods". It is all getting me down though, it is the combination of the lack of a sense of progress in any area of my life coupled with the financial crisis which will hit us in late May if Mark doesn't start work soon which are the underlying complaints - and the sodding weather just makes things worse. Even the thought of going to an informal gathering with the artist Piers Secunda and others at the Updown tonight isn't enough, even the great joy of having won the Ellington Park Quiz last night (ooh, we do have a glittering social life!) is not enough to remove the sense of gloom.
I have an untidy kitchen, an untidy house and it is very cold. I am going to have to escape from it all by doing some writing I think. Fortunately, the one bright spot was talking to Tara yesterday about what I'd done to amend the weaknesses of TRF - she liked these, felt it made things a lot stronger.
It is true that the plants in the garden are making slow progress, the snowdrops have only just ceased to flower - whereas usually they are over by my birthday in this area. The camellia finally opened its first flower on March 21st - the day after this year's Vernal Equinox - and probably is now regretting it as we are suffering 30 mph easterly winds, with snow from time to time and sub-zero temperatures.
So far I have only once had coffee in the garden. Next week looks a bit better, with temperatures heading for 4 degrees - and some "sunny periods". It is all getting me down though, it is the combination of the lack of a sense of progress in any area of my life coupled with the financial crisis which will hit us in late May if Mark doesn't start work soon which are the underlying complaints - and the sodding weather just makes things worse. Even the thought of going to an informal gathering with the artist Piers Secunda and others at the Updown tonight isn't enough, even the great joy of having won the Ellington Park Quiz last night (ooh, we do have a glittering social life!) is not enough to remove the sense of gloom.
I have an untidy kitchen, an untidy house and it is very cold. I am going to have to escape from it all by doing some writing I think. Fortunately, the one bright spot was talking to Tara yesterday about what I'd done to amend the weaknesses of TRF - she liked these, felt it made things a lot stronger.
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