Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 10: Breathe In Winter

I love that each season has its own set of different smells and fragrances. If you tried the 'Winter Senses' exercise on Day 4 you may already have given this some thought. The lovely thing is that by being aware of this you can notice which scents bring back positive memories and feelings and incorporate them into your life. The musty odour of leaf litter may recall happy walks through winter woodland. Woodsmoke can evoke cosy evenings snuggled by the wood-stove, or convivial evenings round a bonfire under the stars with friends. Kitchen spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg could call to mind previous years' preparation of delicious Yule feasts.

What are the winter scents that you love best? Which make you feel cosy, secure, happy? Personally, I love the smell of woodsmoke from our Rayburn... the aroma of a cinnamon and orange scented candle... the smell of snow on the wind... the odour of freshly split logs... the warm, comforting fragrance of mulled wine... the pine resin scent of a real Christmas tree... hot mince pies fresh from the oven... roasting chestnuts...

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 10

Breathe in Winter

Make a list if your favourite winter scents and make an effort to fragrance your life with them. 

• There are an amazing array of scented candles and wax melts available to suit every nose - you can even get ones that smell of wood smoke if you're unable to enjoy a real fire!
• Essential oils can be diffused from an oil burner - think pine, orange, cinnamon, cloves, vetiver, peppermint etc. Use them singly or concoct your own personal winter blend.
• Cook your favourite winter recipes and enjoy the delicious odours wafting through your home.
• Choose soaps, shower gels, lotions etc in scents that make you think of bright, frosty days and cosy winter nights.
• Bring in plants that smell of winter - decorate your home with evergreen sprays of spruce, cedar and pine, start growing a pot of fragrant narcissi on the kitchen windowsill, bring in posies of scented winter-flowering plants like mahonia, daphne, witchhazel and wintersweet.
• Create your own winter pot pourri and place it in bowls around the house, or try these 'stove-top simmering' pot pourri recipes.

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 9: Noticing the Changing Season

You know, I think one of the traps people fall into when thinking about 'winter' is conceiving of it as a monolithic block of a season, a bleak dreary period during which the best thing you can do is just to put your head down and endure until the sun returns in the spring.

This is of course nonsense. Like all seasons, winter evolves and changes throughout its course. Noticing this seasonal evolution is simply a matter of paying attention to the ongoing subtle changes in the natural world.

Here in West Wales I am noticing that the rowan berries, blackberries and sloes of autumn have almost completely disappeared from the hedgerows, replaced by haws and holly berries. A few days ago I saw my first small flock of starlings - not enough to create a magical murmuration, but soon more and more will be gathering as they prepare to roost. The weather is still mostly mild, but we have had a few frosts. By the time a few more weeks have passed, it will almost certainly be much colder with frosty nights the norm. I hope I will be seeing some breath-taking starling murmurations, and the hungry birds will have begun to eat the winter berries and haws, leaving the hedges looking ever more stark. 

By watching winter change and develop through all its stages, we can move away from that mindset of having to endure an endless, dreary procession of cold, dark days instead seeing winter as a dynamic, constantly evolving being which we can savour and engage with. 

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 9

Note the Changes

Try to take a walk in nature each day, or failing that spend daily time in the garden or park. If you are unable to physically get out, it's still possible to observe the changes through a window by watching how the weather, trees, birds, animals, plants etc in your area adjust and transform week by week. Make notes in your journal about your observations. Press leaves and flowers, take photos, make sketches, make lists of the species you identify. As time passes, look back and see how winter has developed and changed over the weeks...

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 8: Winter Treats Kit

 The Five of Cups card from (L-R) The Rider-Waite Tarot, The Forest of Enchantment Tarot, The Druidcraft Tarot, The Gaian Tarot, The Morgan-Greer Tarot

In the Tarot, one meaning of the Five of Cups card is focussing on what you've lost or don't have instead of looking at what you do have. In the cards illustrated above, the figure depicted in the Rider-Waite, Druidcraft and Morgan Greer Tarots is dismayed by the cups of wine that have been spilled - completely overlooking the fact that he still has two perfectly good cups of wine left. In the Forest of Enchantment Tarot, the princess is thinking only of the loss of her golden ball - never imagining the wonderful adventures with a talking frog that will result from this seeming catastrophe. In the Gaian Tarot, a woman sits gloomily in a foggy landscape, completely immersed in her sadness - overlooking the fact that there is a boat behind her in which she could sail away from the problems that consume her.

The Five of Cups depicts one attitude we could take to winter. Instead of putting our focus on the positive things we could be enjoying about the season, we all too often put all the emphasis on the things we can't do because it isn't summer any more. Let's not make that mistake. Instead of mourning the cups of wine that have spilt, let's turn our attention to the brimming cups that it is still possible for us to enjoy.

There is absolutely no doubt that some winter days will be harder to get through than others. But by putting the emphasis on things you can enjoy about the season, even the gloomiest days can be brightened. Prepare a Winter Treats Kit ahead of time and you'll be ready to tackle any dreary days head-on. 

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 8

Winter Treats Kit 

Choose a special basket, box or tin, or set aside a drawer to keep your Winter Treats in. Fill it with those things that will lift your heart and put a smile on your face on a dismal day. Only you know what those things will be, but here's a few ideas to get you thinking.

• A special candle - perhaps a pure beeswax one or a deliciously scented one.
• Art supplies, journal and pens or a colouring book
• A tin of top-quality drinking chocolate, gourmet coffee or your favourite tea
• A favourite stuffed animal
• A DVD of your favourite TV show or happy movie
• Favourite crystals
• An uplifting essential oil blend. My favourite uplifting oils are the citrus ones - lemon, orange, bergamot, and soft florals like rose geranium. Soothing fragrances like rose, lavender, frankincense, benzoin, vetiver and sandalwood may also be worth considering
• A photo of your loved ones, family or pets
• A soft, cosy throw, blanket or shawl you can snuggle up in
• Something delicious to snack on, especially if it's something a bit luxurious that you don't eat every day. My choices would include dried mango strips, honey-roasted nuts or a small box of florentines.
• A copy of your favourite book or magazine

You may also find some of the ideas in this BBC article helpful. 

 

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 7: Escape Into A Good Book

One of the delicious things about winter is the way the long, dark evenings give you the perfect excuse to completely lose yourself in a good book. I don't know about you, but I can get so immersed in a book that I become completely unaware of my surroundings. Which may not be a good thing - luckily the house has never caught fire when I've been reading!

In recent years I've been enchanted to learn of the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið, which translates roughly as 'Christmas Book Flood'. The story goes that in Iceland during World War II, paper was one of the few materials not rationed and as a result it became customary to give books as gifts for Christmas. In Iceland, gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve and people usually spend the rest of the day reading their new books and drinking hot chocolate. Doesn't that sound like sheer heaven! I definitely think this is a tradition that should be more widely adopted. In fact - why wait until Christmas Eve? Let's start cosying up in the evenings with a good book and a large, indulgent mug of hot chocolate.

While we're at it, let's all support our small, local independent bookshops. This is my nearest independent bookshop, and the good news is that it - and many others across the UK - are banding together to sell online so that they can compete on a more level playing field with giant corporations like Amazon. Let's face it, Jeff Bezos is already the richest man on the planet, he doesn't need any more of my money. But my small, local bookseller does. So from now on, that's where I'll be buying my books (there or the local charity shops). If you'd like to follow suit, start here.  

If you need any suggestions to get you started, may I recommend these?

• Ben Aaronovitch's 'Rivers of London' series (beginning with 'Rivers of London')
• 'The Lost Words' by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane
• 'Braiding Sweetgrass' by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• 'The Young Visiters' by Daisy Ashford - still the funniest book I know!
• Phil Rickman's 'Merrily Watkins' series of supernatural thrillers, which starts with 'The Wine of Angels'.
• 'Witch Light' by Susan Fletcher
• 'The Fifth Sacred Thing' by Starhawk
• 'Dark Matter' by Michelle Paver is an incredibly creepy ghost story if you fancy something chilling!
• 'If Women Rose Rooted' by Sharon Blackie

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 7

Escape into a Good Book

Escape into the pages of an old favourite or choose a brand new book to explore. Find yourself a cosy corner where you can curl up in comfort with your book and a big mug of your favourite hot drink. Maybe light a scented candle, put on some soft music, snuggle under a throw... enjoy this special me-time and the opportunity to travel to infinite worlds from the comfort of your armchair. If it's cold and gloomy outside, so much the better!

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 6: A Winter Walk

It's a gloriously sharp, bright frosty morning. A soft haze of mist hangs in the valley. The sky is blue, the fields are white-sparkled frost, the low slanting sun is golden. I love the way the whiteness of the fields peeks through the silhouetted bronze trees.

The cats accompany me up the lane, padding on cold paws over tarmac and fallen leaves.

Tansy keeps a sharp eye out and an ear cocked for any interesting rustles in the hedge...

And over us all, the disseminating moon sinks slowly to her rest in the morning sky

 Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 6

Winter Walk

If you can, get out for a walk and enjoy the sights and sounds of early winter. Take a few photos if you can, and jot down a few words which describe the small beauties you encounter. By doing so the pleasure of the walk can be preserved and relived long after the memory would have been lost. Every walk is different and unique, and worthy of remembering.

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 5: Recipe - Apple and Sultana Compote

Apples are a wonderful winter fruit. Depending on the variety and how they have been stored, apples can last right through the darkest of winter days and into the spring. I have been really enjoying the apple harvest this year. A friend gifted me with some delicious windfalls and the wonderful local zero-waste shop - where I have been doing the bulk of our food shopping since Covid-19 struck - has had some interesting apple varieties in during the autumn that in all honesty I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to try if I was still frequenting the supermarket. 

Not only have I been eating fresh apples, I've also been trying different recipes. I made some delicious apple, blackberry and sloe jelly last month, and I also stewed up plenty of apples with blackberries while the brambles were producing prolifically. These have been put in the freezer to enjoy later in the year. But at the moment my favourite way to enjoy apples is for breakfast - apple and sultana compote served with a dollop of thick, creamy Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of granola to add a bit of crunch. It's so delicious I think you could serve it as a dessert!

This is my compote recipe if you'd like to give it a try.

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 5

Apple and Sultana Compote

Ingredients

3-4 Cooking Apples, such as Bramley

A generous handful of sultanas

A knob of butter

Water

Sugar

Ground cinnamon

Zest of a lemon

Method

Peel and core the apples and chop into smallish pieces. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat and add the apples. Add a little water to stop the apples sticking and simmer over a low heat, stirring regularly. Add a good shake of ground cinnamon, the sultanas and the finely grated zest of a lemon. The compote is ready when the apples have broken down into a soft purée. Remove from the heat and taste - add sugar if required to your taste. 

I keep the Apple Compote in the fridge where it will last for several days (unless I eat it all first!). My favourite way to eat it is with Greek yogurt and granola, but you could also make a classic crumble, sponge or cobbler topping for it and enjoy it with custard or cream.

 

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 4: Winter Senses

 

Quite a few years ago, when this blog and I were both (relatively!) young, I wrote a series of vignettes about 'Seasonal Senses', one each for Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

I found it a really interesting way to mindfully engage with each season, trying to find five quintessential sights, smells, sounds, tastes and sensations that spoke of each one. I still enjoy reading them back to this day. Humans tend to have a bias towards one particular sense - for many of us it's vision - so it's an interesting exercise to more fully engage with all five senses. For today's Winter Blessings and Beauties exercise, I would like to encourage you to try it too!

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 4

Winter Senses

In your journal, write down five sights, smells, sounds, tastes and sensations that sum up the experience of winter for you (you can take a peek at my own list first if that helps). It may take a little while, and I found some senses were easier than others! If you need inspiration, try stepping out into the garden to sniff/taste the air and see what you can spy, hear and feel. Or look in the kitchen cupboards for reminders of the special foods and drinks or favourite recipes that you enjoy during winter. Check your wardrobe - are there favourite winter clothes waiting to be worn? Do you use a particular cosmetic, soap or scent during winter?  Does your family have any winter traditions, hobbies or special activities at this time of year? Are there any particular plants, trees, birds or animals that you seem to see during the winter months?

You may find that once the ideas start coming, you can easily find more than five for each sense!