Craving Warmth

The British are often accused of obsessing about the weather, but sometimes we just can't help it. This constant rain and low temperatures are keeping me indoors craving winter projects, when actually I should be out, hands in the soil, nurturing seedlings and breathing in deep to exhaling these winter blues and encourage the lightness of Spring into my lungs.

Buying a new anorak 3 weeks ago seemed ludicrous, who buys a winter coat in March I asked myself. I have been so glad to have it keep me warm and dry. Hopefully, I won't need it for much longer.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't been a hermit. I have had my hands in the soil/sludge. There are seedlings in the greenhouse, but they are running out of energy, keeping warm.

It's no surprise then that I was drawn to the rich, warm tones of the stonework in the archway leading into McEwan Hall tonight.

I met my girl from work, and we attended a book event with Sara Pascoe, led by Michael Pederson. It was uplifting and I left with a new book to devour when it next rains.

I particularly liked the section on people identifying as a cat. The awkward meeting between Sarah, her daughter, another (feline) child and her father in the park was laugh out loud funny, but was countered by Pederson's own desire to attract peers into his naked feline pack aged 12.

How often do we laugh out loud in public, really throw our heads back and audibly belly laugh. Not often enough I think. This was a proper tonic.