Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Top 10 Ways to Fight the February Blues

1. Curl up with a seed catalogue and dream about all the produce you'll be growing when the warmer weather comes

2. Dig the allotment over. The weak winter sunlight, fresh air, exercise and feeling of accomplishment will improve your mood

3. Plan for the coming year, whether it's where you're going to plant your pea and bean break, or where you want to go on summer holiday. Planning is an act of faith in the future, and gives you something to look forward to

4. Eat preserved summer produce from last year. Cherry jam and frozen peas are as good as Prozac

5. Eat comforting winter food. I've been enjoying duck soup and pheasant casserole, mashed root vegetables and about a hundred different ways of serving cabbage, sponge puddings and home made custard and hot bread straight out of the oven

6. Wrap up warm and go for long walks. Like tip 2, the sunlight and exercise boost your serotonin levels, but I mainly like doing this for the nice feeling of getting back indoors afterwards and warming up again!

7. Turn off the TV, radio or Internet, curl up by the fire and listen to the weather howling and pouring outside and just enjoy the fact you're not out in it

8. Make something. I like making quilts or knitted blankets this time of year

9. Relax, sleep, unwind. Take advantage of the fact that the days are short and there's not so much to do at this time of year (in the garden at any rate). There'll be plenty to do in the summer, and if you're like me you'll feel guilty about being indoors and idle when there's still hours of daylight. This is the natural time to slow down the pace and recharge your batteries. Enjoy it

10. What can we do during the long dark winter nights to pass the time, get warm, and feel good? Hmm, I just can't think....

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hiya. My alternative to your number 1 (seed catalogues) is to browse through bird food catalogues. I love the wriggly wormy site, with the live food. I'm a sucker for new bird feeders, and I'm in the habit of putting out scraps after breakfast every day. To quote Blur, it gives me an enormous sense of wellbeing.
(I wish there were a spell checker on the feedback section)

Ally said...

All very good advice, some of which I am going to work through tomorrow. Making marmalade does it for me, too - very soul-nourishing!

Anonymous said...

I've recently found your blog and enjoy it very much. I'll print a copy of this entry and add some my own ways to fight the February Blues.

Washington State (USA)

Gid said...

11. Realise that the plum wine you set fermenting a few months back has now finished working, bottle it, discover that there's not quite enough to fill the sixth bottle so you have to drink it.. relax in the alcoholic haze of drinking half a bottle of 19% ABV home made wine.. hic!

Anonymous said...

Hmm, I've never had the winter blues - I suspect I have neither the time nor the inclination!

But my favourite way of spending an invigorating winter's day is to do the chores in a blizzard (yes, really), then chop a pile of firewood, then play with the boys, and finally collapse with a mug of mulled cider in front of the open fire while listening to music.

Pure bliss.

Anonymous said...

I've done the seed catalogues and am now planning what to grow in the raised beds. What to put where, what can follow what, am I following harvest with, am I planting too much or not enough of things. In most cases, anything I've got too much of I can freeze or store, but I'm not sure about the kohl rabi Thompson & Morgan sent me as a freebie. I've never eaten the stuff and might hate it...

Lesley said...

By coincidence, just after reading Linz's note, I picked up a packet if raddish seeds, only to find that on the back it said that khol rabi and raddish go well together(presumably on the plate?) and should also be sewn and grown together.
I've never eaten them (it?) either, so will now have to buy a packet to satisfy my curiosity.
I'm also going to try growing horseraddish (following the address for it posted by Stonehead)
If there really is such a thing as winter blues(personally I'm far too busy to get them) then I can recommend visiting peoples blogs.... you meet such interesting people!

She Who Digs said...

Hello Melanie
Love the painting by your sister and your tips to beat the February Blues.
Re number 3: I’ve printed out your line about ‘Planning is an act of faith in the future’ and will put it up at home to remind me. It captures how hopeful I feel at this time of year as the days get longer and I see the first buds of spring beginning to swell. I use a light box to stop me getting SAD in winter, which has revolutionised my life- without exaggeration!

I am a planner and a ‘half full’ not ‘half empty’ kind of person by nature. My HWDD (Husband Who Doesn’t Dig) doesn’t share my love of planning (not that I’m excessive or compulsive!) so I hope that your words might help him give some thought to planning, which is where number 10 comes in…)
SWD

Melanie Rimmer said...

Kohl rabi tastes a little bit like turnip perhaps, it's a root vegetable with a mild cabbagey taste. It must grow well with radishes rather than taste well when they're cooked together because you don't cook radishes. Unless it means kohl rabi can be used raw in salads like radishes, which wouldn't totally surprise me. I like it, it has a crunchy texture, but it's not my favouritest ever vegetable. it's easy to grow so you maya s well try it and see if you like it or not, you've nothing much to lose.

Thank you anonymous and SWD. I'm glad you found the post helpful. I think the best cure for the February blues is the 1st of March, but you've got to hang in there until it arrives!

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