Preparing for Winter V

[Deleted User]

Not got that early autumn feeling here yet but the leaves are colouring up on the trees and there are subtle changes on the plot and in the garden as crops come to the end and are cleared.  Still a long way to go  until autumn proper but I love this tailing down of summer when I'm so busy in the kitchen making things with what we've grown to make the colder months more pleasant. I love the feeling when I open the preserves cupboard and can see all the jars lined up of things I've already made and then add what I've made that day, it's a little extra layer of security that speaks to something in my make up and says you'll be OK now when the cold does come.  It's probably a throwback to rural ancestors who farmed and lived in a quite remote place on an island, lovely setting, I've been to the farm ,but in winter on a Swedish island in deep snow in the Scandinavian winter when it's dark for months at a time I've always felt that Great Grandma and all who went before her must have had that same feeling when they opened the cupboard door and saw summer in jars on the shelves in front of their eyes!

Greenglockenspiel

Laura_Elsewhere said:

greenbee said:

I’m preparing for winter by making the most of summer and spending as much time as possible outside topping up my vitamin D.

 

I still top up my Vit D in winter (since you can't store it...) by pushing my sleeves up every time i go out in all but the most bitter weather - I wear gloves or fingerless mitts, but my forearms are usually exposed, specifically to get some natural Vit-D even in midwinter, it's worth getting every tiny bit you can! 

Laura - you actually can’t get any vitamin D from the sun in the winter in the UK because the UVB just isn’t there, even on a sunny day. So worth making sure you have alternative sources available 😊

NHS says:

Winter sunlight

In the UK, sunlight doesn't contain enough UVB radiation in winter (October to early March) for our skin to be able to make vitamin D.

During these months, we rely on getting our vitamin D from food sources (including fortified foods) and supplements.   

maryjane87

I'm preparing by thinking ahead to what I want to sow for winter veg. Cleaned out the greenhouse after summer, except some chillies in the big greenhouse. Will draw up planting plans for the beds tonight and get seeds ordered asap. I'm debating making more raised beds for the front so better get on with that soon! I am also tempted to look into getting an alternative heat source in case of power cuts, but I would be so wary of the gas heaters with small children (3 & 1) I remember the ones my dad had in the garage had a flame! (Also a log burner isn't an option due to no chimney) any suggestions welcome! 😊

MingVase

maryjane look up PROVENCE CALOR GAS HEATER. They are cast iron so cannot be knocked over, but have wheels for easy movement. Come in nice colours too, I have the blue one.

Laura_Elsewhere

Greenglockenspiel said:

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I still top up my Vit D in winter (since you can't store it...) by pushing my sleeves up every time i go out in all but the most bitter weather - I wear gloves or fingerless mitts, but my forearms are usually exposed, specifically to get some natural Vit-D even in midwinter, it's worth getting every tiny bit you can! 

Laura - you actually can’t get any vitamin D from the sun in the winter in the UK because the UVB just isn’t there, even on a sunny day. So worth making sure you have alternative sources available 😊

NHS says:

Winter sunlight

In the UK, sunlight doesn't contain enough UVB radiation in winter (October to early March) for our skin to be able to make vitamin D.

During these months, we rely on getting our vitamin D from food sources (including fortified foods) and supplements.   

Our skin still makes a little bit, just nowhere near enough - there's a line across roughly Blackpool to Hull, and north of there the Vit-D is a problem for most of the year (about 8 months of the 12), south of there it's a problem during the winter months. 
Get as much as you can - *and* take a d3 supplement  

(Edit: I guinea-pigged for some years for Dermatology and they were quite definite about the benefits of year-round UV exposure as well as supplements - it isn't only Vit-D   ) 

maryjane87

MingVase said:

maryjane look up PROVENCE CALOR GAS HEATER. They are cast iron so cannot be knocked over, but have wheels for easy movement. Come in nice colours too, I have the blue one.

Thank you very much! I will investigate, that's really helpful 😊

greenbee

boazu said:

The news this morning announced that we are officially in recession in the UK, this comes as no surprise because it's been decline of the economy since the beginning of covid and the lock down.  Now is the time to review stocks and equipment that you might need to either replace, top up or aquire to see you through the colder months even if it is currently like being in a turkish bath all across the country.  If we're in recession companies will inevitable go into liquidation, bankruptcies will rise, all things will become more expensive and lack of availability will mean finding them will be more difficult no matter what they are.  Add in potential redundancies, job losses, illness even and we're heading for that perfect storm come January and the actual Brexit particularly as it seems there will be no deal to go with the exit from the EU.  If you have the wherewithall to do it look over what you need and buy it now while it's still here.

The recession isn’t simply the result of Covid and lockdown. It started long before that - to be in recession the economy has to be in decline for 3 quarters in succession. We, along with much of the rest of the world (particularly Northern Europe) were already well on the way. IMF and OECD figures and predictions for economic growth have been dire for the last couple of years. Brexit and Trump’s trade war with China didn’t help, but neither does the economic theory that drives the global company as its based on the principle of continuous growth rather than sustainability. Economists are starting to challenge this, but it will take politicians sometime to catch up. 

There’s a lot of good information out there for anyone interested in sustainability and responsible business. Yvon Chouinard’s book “Let My People Go Surfing” about how he founded the clothing company Patagonia and stuck to his ethical principles as it grew is a fascinating read as a starting point. 

greenbee

MingVase said:

I think if we got a long good summer like France does then I'd look forward to autumn, but some years it just gets going then it ends and I hate that.

Move South Mar 😋

greenbee

boazu said:

Not got that early autumn feeling here yet but the leaves are colouring up on the trees and there are subtle changes on the plot and in the garden as crops come to the end and are cleared.  Still a long way to go  until autumn proper but I love this tailing down of summer when I'm so busy in the kitchen making things with what we've grown to make the colder months more pleasant. I love the feeling when I open the preserves cupboard and can see all the jars lined up of things I've already made and then add what I've made that day, it's a little extra layer of security that speaks to something in my make up and says you'll be OK now when the cold does come.  It's probably a throwback to rural ancestors who farmed and lived in a quite remote place on an island, lovely setting, I've been to the farm ,but in winter on a Swedish island in deep snow in the Scandinavian winter when it's dark for months at a time I've always felt that Great Grandma and all who went before her must have had that same feeling when they opened the cupboard door and saw summer in jars on the shelves in front of their eyes!

I work in Sweden. My Swedish colleagues make the most of summer - they tend to move into their summer houses just before midsummer and start coming back at the end of August. Some of them take all their holiday over the summer (they get a lot of holiday, and it’s a big issue for businesses but the culture is slowly changing). Very few of them grow their own, bake or preserve - or have vast stocks of anything. The roads and airports generally stay open, they have good public transport, well-insulated houses, fabulous triple-glazing and efficient heating. They are also very minimalist in style and don’t clutter their homes unnecessarily - when people move they seem to sell most of their stuff and buy new (or new-to-them) stuff that fits the new place.

Advice to new immigrants (or commuters like me!) is to make sure we dress appropriately. So several coats so we work our way up to the really thick winter coat, with plenty of room for layers under it. Good, thick, practical, lined boots. Scarves, hats and neck warmers to avoid gaps. Gloves with thermal liners. Most of the stuff I have for winter in Sweden lives there as it’s too hot to use here! When people are looking for houses it’s all about insulation, glazing and heating rather than layers and blankets, and they’re right, the best prep for winter is making sure your house is weather-proof and warm. 

We also always walk to lunch in winter so that we get at least 30 minutes of fresh air and daylight - as well as a proper hot meal of fish/meat/veggie main course with veg, salad, pudding and coffee. Coffee is taken very seriously, as is cake - we often have ‘fika’ to catch up rather than meetings. Cake is usually from the bakery in the supermarket who do fabulous traditional cinnamon buns, princess cake (my favourite) and cheesecake. Occasionally someone will bake, but it’s unusual - there’s a lot more home baking in the UK office. 

The Swedes have embraced modern technology and are early adopters of new innovation. The car parks are full of electric charging points, and their homes are very high-tech and energy efficient. 

Floss

One of my brothers works for a London council & now his colleagues are mainly WFH they have weekly fika...I think he just has the coffee bit though!