In the bleak midwinter ...

 After weeks and weeks of glorious weather through November, December and the first part of January, winter came calling this week. And, my goodness, it was cold. The mornings are fine as we have tasks to do. Once we get dressed, it is clearing out the log burner (thanks goodness for our trusty “ash vac”) and cleaning the glass door. We had been buying a special (and expensive) spray to do this from Ambioenergy in Polis, and that certainly did the job. But Ann had a magic, and very cheap, spray for the kitchen - and it works just as well. Result.

Domestic tasks normally involve unloading the dishwasher, and quite often reloading it after breakfast so that the decks are clear. There is wood to bring in from the log pile outside the back door, which is a job we normally share. Then set the fire, and - and this is a must - clean the “ash vac” filter. If you don’t, it will sulk and not work the next day. Quite often there is cooking in the morning. We have been making various soups to freeze, and Ann made some Scotch Eggs which we cooked in the air fryer. No deep fat fryer for us.

The afternoons depend on the weather. Yesterday it was sunny outside and warm enough to relax for a couple of hours. Today looks like it may be warm enough to do the same. Recently the weather has been cold and wet, and so we have lit the log burner and watched a film. It sounds really self-indulgent but it has been fun. Over the last few days we have watched The Dead Zone (brilliant), The Killing Fields (stunning), The Verdict (Paul Newman so believable as the drunken lawyer) and The Irishman (initially fascinating but at nearly three and a half hours in length, too long). Our tv provider from Switzerland has a section of Video on Demand and we have a choice of about six and a half thousand films, and tv box sets. Spoilt for choice, and we have taken to looking at Wikipedia for films nominated for Oscars.

I must admit our subscription is worth every Euro at this time of year. If you decide to follow in our footsteps then a tv service (streamed over the internet) is a useful tool. And it can take your mind off Brexit, the US election, Coronavirus and all the other things that may set you on a downward spiral. And don’t for get a “winter warmer” or two, to put that smile on your face. A friend was writing on Facebook about the changes to her life since the pandemic. She felt she was now an alcohol-dependent, but increasingly competent cook, and needed to lose some weight.