Flowers in winter

Sirius's post on Tuesday got me thinking about the little things that help to lift my spirits in the colder months. I always feel better about life when the sun is shining, and it can be a real struggle to stay positive during the long, dark English winters. (Autumn is actually the hardest time for me, when the days are getting noticeably shorter. I always feel a bit better after the new year, even though January is usually the darkest and coldest time. Somehow, just knowing that the days are getting longer and we're on the way out makes it easier). But I've found a number of little things that can make an enormous difference to my mood, and help me to feel cheerful even without the sun.

1) Fresh flowers. I love having fresh flowers in the house at any time of year, but they seem to matter the most when my garden's frozen and dead, and it's raining every day and getting dark by 3:30. Chrysanthemums are a particularly good option for me -- they come in bright cheerful colors, don't cost much, and last for weeks.

2) "Fires". We have fireplaces in our lounge and dining room, but they're really old and we're not sure if the chimneys are safe for use. So we filled the grates with tall pillar candles from Ikea and often light them on wintry evenings. They fill the room with a beautiful, flickering, romantic glow.

3) Music. It really cheers me up if I remember to flick on some music, especially when I'm sorting the finances or working in the kitchen. Yesterday I washed dishes and made a spicy North African stew while listening to Bach's Italian Concerto and Glen Gould's recording of the two- and three-part Inventions -- all bright, happy pieces.

4) Spots of beauty. We can't hang things on the walls in our current flat, so I have to find my spots of beauty in other ways. I love my indoor herb garden -- I have little pots of sage, mint, parsley, chives, thyme, and basil arranged in a row on our kitchen windowsill. I also have two orchids, Easter presents from Anthony, that I've been trying all summer not to kill. I think I've finally learned how to take care of them, as one is about to bloom again! I also like finding beauty by eating off our china for no particular reason or just putting a candle on the dinner table.

4) Food. Food was a big part of our lives growing up, and what I eat still makes an enormous difference to my mood. In winter, though, when we don't have such a good selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, it's possible to fall into a rut and start eating the same three or four meals all the time. Throwing in a new recipe or just doing something a bit different offers wonderful scope for the imagination. It can be as simple as having blueberry pancakes and bacon for dinner on a weeknight or as memorable as eating fondue from a saucepan on the stove because you don't have a fondue pot. I also like making the most of autumnal fruits for things like cranberry bread, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin pie.

6) Warming drinks. Columbian coffee on Saturday mornings. A glass of port in front of our "fire" on a winter's night. A glass of scotch after a chilly weekend ramble on the Heath. When I'm in the States, I particularly like curling up with a book and a mug of hot cider.

7) Keeping good books on hand. They take me out of myself. They help me forget the darkness, and the rain, and the cold. I like to go back and forth between old favorites like The Lord of the Rings and new discoveries.

8) Something to look forward to. Counting days to something special really helps to keep up my spirits in the winter months. This year my big thing is spending Christmas with my family. I've already started counting days for that one. Other things I'm looking forward to in the meantime include a couple of Shakespeare evenings with friends, a weekend in France with Anthony's parents, Thanksgiving celebrations, exploring holiday-decked London with Anthony, and seeing the Nutcracker for the first time.