Preparing for Winter V

joedenise

Should there be a link in there @Laura_Elsewhere?

dizzyblnd

Wednesday2000 said:

We have been very lucky with the weather in Cornwall this week, but today is a bit blustery and chilly. I am sitting in bed with the heating on in the hotel at the moment as I'm tired from walking around so much. As we don't have a fridge I bought some cup a soups from Tesco last night and I'm about to have one. I am going to batch cook some proper homemade butternut squash soup when I get home. I intend to do some winter prep when I get home too. Putting the electric fan into the attic, getting out the warm pet beds, and going through the airing cupboard. It is meant to rain later, but it is nice and cosy sitting here and hearing the waves.🙂

I made butternut squash soup today ❤️

Sarahspangles

Today was the day the houseplants came in from their Summer holiday. They’re almost all ones that my offspring left when they flew the nest. I was selective this time about which I’ve kept, and with some of the succulent ones I’ve potted up an offset for a fresh start for Spring. They’ve had a lot of rain over the last week and I doubt any of them will need watering again until Spring!

The garden still has quite a lot in flower. Roses, verbena and sedums in the main. In this bit of Yorkshire we can get a frost around now but occasionally it can be as late as the beginning of December, so the stragglers are welcome.

Laura_Elsewhere

joedenise said:

Should there be a link in there @Laura_Elsewhere?

Oops, yes - thanks for spotting that! I've edited my post to add it, but here it is as well  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4GBxvMRrfS0hPGkQfM9NWHt/look-for-the-light-practical-tips-to-help-you-through-another-winter-with-sad

Cherryfudge

@Laura_Elsewhere, is this the page you tried to link to? (I hope it works).

I googled 'coping with winter BBC' and there are a number of useful-looking things, though I really liked the little book called on 'hygge' that came out a few years ago.

dizzyblnd

Thanks everyone. I will try to get outside more and make the most of the light. It’s a challenge to set myself. 

Cherryfudge

Oops, I cross-posted with you @Laura_Elsewhere, sorry. I also found this page written for people coming to study in the UK from abroad, which is usefully objective, though I'd be inclined to add that the UK sometimes has glorious, clear, bright, sparkling winter days, and early snowdrops and the restart of birdsong just after Christmas... so it's not all doom and gloom!

My winter prep today has been to check through the medicine cabinet for out of date stuff and help DH put together our log store so we don't have soggy wood next time there's a power cut. It's only a small one but then we don't use a lot of wood.

Siebrie

@wannalot Sometimes energy companies, councils or 'green' organisations give free home audits for insulation possibilities, etc, or give free or cheap energy saving devices.

enchilada

Every time the weather starts to get cold (which is usually August!) I come back to this thread wanting to feel cosy.

I'm working at my desk with my feet on my ceramic hot water pig (which I bought after reading about them here), it definitely helps! We have had some snow here in Cardiff today.

Laura_Elsewhere

We were glad we had our trusty supply of dishwasher-salt-granules today- four inches (measured in several places) of snow, but on top of a layer of slush, so a real mess and now freezing to a horrible black-ice nightmare tomorrow morning! 
The dishwasher-salt-granules work out cheaper than rock-salt or salt or grit, and they work instantly as grit (hence why you need to get the granules, not the finer powdery stuff), and then as salt as it starts dissolving. 

Take care tomorrow if you have freezing overnight on wet slush!