The good things about February

Yes really...........

Hello February! I’m so glad you’re here, taking over from dull, drab January and moving us that little bit closer to spring. These are the joyful things I am looking forward to during the 28 days you are with us.

Snowdrops

It’s nothing short of miraculous that these diminutive and delicate looking plants can push their pristine, white blooms through the wet and muddy or frozen-solid ground without them becoming blemished and ruined. Appearing in the darkest days of the year, they are a symbol of renewal, strength and hope.

There are many different varieties of Galanthus and some of the best collections can be seen this month on walks at gardens belonging to the National Trust. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/gardens-parks/where-to-see-snowdrops?type=article

If you wish to grow snowdrops, and it’s easy to do so, the nursery at Beth Chatto’s have a fabulous selection

https://www.bethchatto.co.uk/shop-by-other/seasonal/?page=1-7234

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Candles

The short days and continuing harsh weather this month mean there are still plenty of opportunities to light candles. Like fires, candles feed one of our most basic needs to bring a sense of warmth and wellbeing in winter. A few candles about the place, especially if they are scented, makes being stuck indoors positively enjoyable.

This lovely little vintage cup candle was a Christmas present from my husband. He bought it in a shop on our high street that champions local craftspeople. Choosing this sort of gift for me is not something he is very comfortable with - let’s just say it’s not his area of expertise, but he knows I like blue and white china and he knows I like candles, so he put two and two together and hit the jackpot! He was thrilled when I told him it was one of my favourite presents this year.

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Good food and great company

Eating out in a cosy setting is another of winter’s pleasures. A second Christmas present I was delighted with is from my twin daughters. Our favourite restaurant is a local Italian. It was here when I lived in the area over thirty years ago, remained while we lived in the countryside for eleven years and, when we moved back here fifteen years ago, was still here and thriving.

Apart from a short blip when they had the wrong chef for a few months, they have continued to serve a level above the standard Italian food and always create a great atmosphere. My daughters, the writer and the graphic designer, created a voucher for me to put towards a meal there with my “favourite people”, so long, it seems as both girls are included too! Very clever. It’s expensive and they cannot afford to go there on their own, so they have artfully created the chance for me to take them!

Playing golf

I am keen to get back on the golf course and there’s a fun Texas Scramble game later today. There have been few opportunities in recent weeks as, most of the time, the course is like a quagmire. So, I was pleased to be out there the week before last with my regular golf-buddy Sue. It was a mid-week afternoon and thus we had the place almost to ourselves.

We teed off towards the first hole, she using a white ball, me a red one. We saw both balls land in the distance and chatted as we walked towards them. When we got to where they had landed, there was no sign of my ball. This is not uncommon in golf: players lose balls all the time. But that is when they don’t see where they landed. We had both seen this ball come down well away from any vegetation that might have hidden it. Fed up with searching, we agreed I should drop a replacement ball and resume play.

We followed the rest of the course without incident until we were on our way down the fairway to the ninth hole. Both our balls were in the distance and as we walked towards them, a large crow landed by my ball and pecked at it making it roll a few inches.

“I seem to be getting help from an unexpected source” I said, laughing

“Just so long as it doesn’t steal your ball” Sue said

“It couldn’t get the ball in its beak, could it? Surely it’s far too big”

As if determined to prove me wrong, the crow immediately picked up my ball and flew off with it, never to be seen again. A second crow, also holding someone else’s golf ball in its beak flapped alongside it. We were speechless and then simply began laughing. It was hard to believe what we had just seen.

“I wonder if that’s what happened to my red ball?” I said “I did see a crow land next to it, but didn’t think anything of it at the time”

A quick search on the internet revealed that crows stealing golf balls is a regular thing and there are a number of suggested deterrents including

“Consider using brightly coloured or fluorescent balls as crows are less likely to mistake them for birds eggs”

Hmmmm, as we know from my experience, this doesn’t work. Perhaps they think they’re some sort of fruit!

Anyway, these are my plans to brighten up the month of February. What are yours? Click below to let me know and I shall respond

Thank you for reading and if you have enjoyed it, please give it a like and/or share it with others. This helps spread the word and introduce me to new readers.

FOOTNOTE

You’re reading Home Truths, from me, Susy Smith. I write here on an eclectic mix of subjects about home and lifestyle. I am many things: a parent of grown-up kids, a dog owner, a gardener and a compulsive mover of vases (I worked for years as a stylist). I am also a writer/editor and former Editor-in-Chief of British Country Living Magazine.

Credits:

February photo by madeleine craine on Unsplash

Snowdrop Photo by Yoksel 🌿 Zok on Unsplash

Crow photo by Valentin Petkov on Unsplash