I am beginning to believe that the farmhouse has been trapped in its own snow globe. Never have I had a better excuse to settle in a chair by the fire, read books or play board games with the girls whilst eating endless homemade crumpets. Is there anything more decadent than licking the dribbles of warm butter from a third toasted crumpet off one’s fingers I wonder? Don’t answer that. We can’t all live a high octane lifestyle, dear Reader. Despite the gradual shift in temperature, everything is smothered in a thick blanket of snow as I write and although I am supposed to be head down at the writing desk today, I find myself clutching a mug of hot tea and staring out of the window at the fluffy white eiderdown covering the farmhouse garden. I never thought I’d say it but….sadly school isn’t shut. Jerry has managed to get to London too so I am home alone. I was hoping for another snow day to be honest, dear Reader. The last lot of snow ensured days of bombing about on the little tractor round the garden – girls and dogs whooping about like mad things. I know the snow isn’t fun for everyone and there’s a lot to be said for all the amazing people who have kept everything running despite the so called Beast from the East making life awkward. A massive shout out to so many farmers who were out with snow ploughs, rescuing stuck vehicles and those who are battling with their livestock in truly difficult conditions. These are awful lambing conditions. Just getting water to our hens and ducks has proven tricky when pipes are frozen solid and drinkers ice over in seconds and we haven’t had nearly as much snow as some parts of the country. It’s not just farmers who deserve our praise either. The Herculean efforts of doctors, nurses, carers and so many more vital people in the community who have braved the elements to get to work has been awe inspiring. Our local Facebook groups have been awash with kind souls offering help, giving lifts and taking shopping to those in need. As they say, not all superheros wear capes.
However, I can’t help but feel that the white stuff has brought a bit of wintry magic our way. Lazy days are few and far between these days and our first winter at the farmhouse has been memorable because of the snow. We’ve been living in our own little bubble. I can’t remember the last time I threw myself into all day baking sessions with my girls, danced round the kitchen to Moana with a tutu on or snuggled up on the sofa under a blanket to watch a film together without something drawing me away from time spent with them. Snow days have banished any feelings of guilt that I should be doing something else. Instead of missing out, I have made it my mission to forget the other stuff for a while and focus on making snow blobbies (Poppy’s version of snowmen) and finding the perfect number of mini marshmallows for a mug of hot chocolate. It’s eight if you’re interested, dear Reader. With enough wood in the log shed to keep us going and plenty of provisions, the snow has given the four of us the perfect excuse to slow down and shut out all the calls on our time from the outside world. That and the driveway was rather slippery even with a Land Rover so staying put seemed a far better option than going out when the first lot of snow hit our little corner of Hampshire. Swathed in layers, we stepped out into our very own Narnia and time was lost. I may even have eaten a box of Turkish delight, dear Reader.
So with Jerry and the girls back to their everyday routines today and my head full of words that desperately need to find their way onto the page before me, I am rather sad to bid farewell to what we hope will be winter’s last hurrah. The sun is out and great clods of snow are already thudding down from the roof as it warms up. By tomorrow, the snow will have disappeared as quickly as it came. It will soon be time to welcome in spring, dear Reader.