January Round Up

First month of the year, done. How was yours?

Mine has been quiet. I mean, life has been happening. Dog walking, child wrangling, Netflix watching life. But nothing momentous. So much so that I nearly didn’t write this post. But I enjoy writing them and they are fun to look back on so…here goes. My January looked a bit like this:

The January Recharge

I posted earlier in the month about taking January not as a month of resolutions but as a month of recharge. And it has gone really well. I’m no health guru but I have managed to drink a bit more water and a bit less coffee. I’ve been eating more plant based meals and embraced the gut friendly qualities of kefir and kombucha. FYI, I’m loving that I can now buy Kombucha in good old Aldi. When I first started drinking it years back, you had to hunt it out in obscure health shops.

Watching Netflix

As always!

Kicked off the month with a cosy, low key spooky movie in the form of The Scary House. This Austrian production centres around sixteen year old Hendrik and his struggle to find his feet after making the move from the big city to a rural home with a dark secret. It’s tense enough to keep you guessing, but warm enough not to be at all disturbing. If you ever had a bit of love for Goosebumps or Point Horror, you’ll love this one.

Oh and being set in rural Austria, you can also expect a side order of beautiful scenery, pretty Austrian villages and traditional dress. Gorgeous!

Changing the pace from low key spooky to genuinely chilling, Archive 81. This one did actually spook me out a bit. It’s very hard to describe without spoilers but it’s a found footage mystery that will have you confused and intrigued in equal measure. The plot gets to you, you’ll be suspecting everyone and trusting no one. The clever, tightly knit story line has you questioning what is real and who is losing their grip on reality. And the final scenes inspire shouting at the screen. It’s a brilliant series and if you watch it, or already have, please do let me know what you thought in the comments.

Side order with Archive 81 is main character Melody’s cracking 1990’s, New York wardrobe. Boot cut jeans and a hobo bag. Had me wanting to go back to dressing like 90’s me. Although, slightly depressingly, 90’s is now classed as ‘vintage’.

Went to Ikea

For the first time in ages. Anyone else love an Ikea trip? Poor Mr THL had a weeks leave before he goes off army-ing overseas and what’s my idea of a hot date? A trip to the Swedish superstore. Whilst there, I found this lovely little display involving Her Majesty the Queen, which was very pretty if not particularly Swedish. Also, tell me if I’m being picky. Is that picture a bit unflattering?

But let me tell you why I’m including such a mundane thing in this post; because it was the first time we’ve been there in ages that it felt like the old times. Pre covid. Pretty normal, just masked up. We went to the cafe for coffee and meatballs. We meandered round picking up things we didn’t need. We marvelled at the tiny, recreated rooms. I read out the name of everything in what I imagine to be a Swedish accent because if you do that it practically feels like you can speak Swedish. Or some other Scandi language. Honestly, try it.

On a serious note, it felt right and hopeful and like 2022 could be the year we put Covid in it’s place. Lets hope so, hey?

First of the Spring Blooms

I’ve spotted Daffodils popping up here and there and my favourite local churchyard is sprinkled with the prettiest little clusters of Snow Drops. It’s such a lift to the spirits to see them. I think Mother Nature got it exactly right timing these blooms to come when we all need a little reminder that the days are getting longer and the the seasons will turn. Spring is incoming.

Snow Drops always give me a lift. These tiny, delicate, pure little flowers can bloom out of Winter hard ground, in chilly conditions when day light is still late to show up and early to leave. There is a lot of hope in that, isn’t there? And that’s a nice note to end on.

Helen x