Yaaaaay!!! Daffs! Tulips! Wee pots of colour brightening up the house after the long, dark winter. It is a scientific fact* that a vase of daffodils lifts the mood and makes even the grumpiest of grumps smile. And the price of happiness? £1 for a bunch.
This is the time of year when we have to do whatever is needed to lift our spirits and for me – a self-confessed shallow person with a short attention span and a penchant for anything sparkly – spring flowers in the house mark my emergence from the gloom.
As my regular reader knows, I am not a huge fan of the great outdoors but I do love seeing the shoots and bulbs coming out at this time of year. However, it’s indoors where the real benefits are seen. I will admit I’m not a qualified medical professional but I’m quite sure I’m saving the NHS considerable amounts of money by investing in some fragrant hyacinths for the kitchen and feeling instantly perkier.
The other good news at this time of year is that it can still be Baltic out there, so woolly tights and layers in general mean there is no need for any of the preparation shenanigans needed later in the year when our pale limbs are presented to the world.
Lately, I’d been entering the sitting room where the sport was being monitored at Penman Towers and rather than say: “How is that a sport? We used to do that on tin trays down the golf course and didn’t call ourselves Olympic athletes”, I’d say: “Oooh, doesn’t the snow look pretty? I wonder if they get snowdrops there.” My blood pressure must have come down too.
The mellowness may also have something to do with the days getting lighter. I enjoy watching Scandi noir boxsets in the knowledge that it’s slightly less dark and miserable here than there, hygge or not. The seasonal upgrade in the quality of films out at the cinema lately – pre-Oscars – has also put a spring in my step. Happy days.
*Following a comprehensive study of just myself.