Episode 19. It's Looking A Bit Black Over Bill's Mother's.
Another
great Midlands saying that cheers me up. It means the sky is dark
over Bill’s Mother’s house.
There’s
a debate about who Bill is. Some believe it's William Shakespeare.
And as his mother, Mary Arden, lived in Stratford, south east of
Wolverhampton, this expression is therefore used when storms come
from this direction.
I’ve
never coped very well with winter. In the past the though of winter
depressed me. Of late I’ve changed my tune.
I
still think people who are desperate for it to snow, are a bit saft.
Why do you want to welcome weather which impedes everything you do?
It’s not like getting snowed in is much fun, cut off from essential
services, like we are here in Wales, especially when you haven’t
been shopping. Then it’s just a major pain in the arse.
If
I can’t get to work I lose pay. To walk in from where I live is OK,
but the walking back in pitch black, with ice under foot, along the
side of a river, is only asking for trouble.
That
aside, I no longer give myself permission to believe the whole of the
winter season will depress me. Although working in retail, leading
up to Christmas, has its challenges.
On
the bright side it does mean there’s loads of overtime so hopefully
all my money won't come flying out of my bank account.
I'm
not buying any more Christmas cards. I usually buy charity ones but
as only a small percentage of the money ever goes to the charity,
I’ll be making a donation instead. Family and close friends can
have one of my home-made delights. After all it’s better to give
than receive. Very true in this case.
Gifts
are easy. My lot prefer to get cash. Job done. Not going to argue
with that, it's another thing less to get traumatised about.
The
real downer for me is the dark to light ratio forever increasing.
Well not forever, only til 21st December, then we see the light
again. The longer periods of dark used to make me feel like my life
was smaller. Not any longer though. Seven more hours of darkness
means I can use the time to get all my brightly coloured yarns out
and make lovely things. I enjoy textile based crafts, so I’ll be
busy creating joyous blankets, fabulous hats and jazzy mittens. I
love using things I’ve made. It’s a good feeling. I still wear a
fantastic cardigan I made for myself when I was pregnant with my 3rd
child. She is 26 this year.
Photography
is another of my passions. Winter, although stark and unforgiving, is
incredibly beautiful. So I want to take up this interest again. I
love to put images and words together. It’s an art and one I love.
Going out to take photographs also means I go to places I normally
wouldn’t and I get to enjoy being outdoors.
A
bit of winter introspection, over a nice bottle of red wine, is good
to help me see where I have skills gaps. It’s a great time to
hibernate and learn something new, or brush up old skills with a good
online course.
Writing
poetry is something I find easier in the winter. Perhaps it’s all
that introspection. As the darkness closes around me, like
insulation, creative decisions are made more easily.
I
enjoy my new optimistic way of seeing things. I am, in general, more
or less always happy. Making conscious decisions to find positives in
life certainly beats how I used to be.
I’m
rather pleased it’s winter I’ve got a lot to pack in before
Spring comes. So I don't care how black the sky over Bill's Mother's is. I've got plenty to keep me cheerful.
How
do you get through the darker days? Please leave a comment below. I’d
love to hear from you reading this blog.
© Gilian Cullis 28/11/2018
© Gilian Cullis 28/11/2018
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