My abiding memory of February is of the wind. Wind howling in the lime trees beyond our street, wind rattling the windows and lashing about the house, wailing down the chimney and sending garden furniture and plant pots scudding across the yard. Again and again I thought of the Ted Hughes poem, ‘Wind’ - ‘this house has been far out at sea all night…’ February has been a month of staying inside, being cosy, drawing the curtains, making more hot chocolate, reading and dreaming under blankets and only venturing out when entirely necessary (like when you’ve run out of tea - the ultimate nightmare!) There have been birthdays and dog walks and pancakes and the odd morning of snow too though, and I’ve even had time to hand wash all of my scarves!

Here’s the to be read pile as it currently stands!

I started taking this extremely good boy for a walk on Monday mornings.

After rain storms, there were some impressive reflections.

Whole afternoons have been whiled away in painting and reading about paintings.

The happiest moment of the week - sitting quietly on a bench in the market with coffee and soaking up some rare sun.