During the cold, dark, unyielding days of deepest winter, I find it's essential to surround myself with an arsenal of things that cheer me up. Particularly in Rochester (although perhaps not as much this year), where the winter finds one entrenched in the house due to impassable weather.1. I know I've mentioned it before, but these Overlook Press editions of Wodehouse's Jeeves books make me sublimely happy. They are everything that a book should be--compact, hard covered, cloth bound, and adorned with a simple, charming illustration on the dust jacket. Just the sort of thing to lure the money from a bibliophile's wallet. I'm presently reading Ring For Jeeves, which is, of course, absolutely delightful but I do miss Bertie quite a bit, particularly in the narration. He's absent from this one, lending Jeeves to another household on secondment while he's away at a school that teaches gentlemen self-sufficiency in case a social revolution deprives them of their valets. Oh, I could burst for my love of Wodehouse. On deck are The Mating Season and Joy in the Morning.
2. I adore brunch, of course, but more than that any Sunday morning spent idle and eating. On the occasions that I don't feel motivated to leave the house for brunch (that is to say, winter), I'll remain in my pajamas and have coffee and breakfast in bed while watching an old episode of MST3K from Netflix. Tomorrow morning I plan to giggle my way out of my Sunday melancholy by watching Mike and the Bots endure Prince of Space. I also might have to break down and buy the second volume of the DVDs just for Pod People, since Netflix doesn't have it. Want a bite-sized giggle? Search for "MST3K" and "short" on YouTube and delight in some of my favorite gems from the series -- the classroom / propaganda ephemera shorts.
3. Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages is a classic wine, and for good reason; it's inexpensive and absolutely delicious. I have a few empty demi-bottles serving as vases and other miscellaneous decorative functions, as I find the simple ink-and-parchment aesthetic of the label delightful.
4. Hot drinks have such a pronounced soothing effect on me that I'm even known to drink them in the summer. In winter, though, I simply can not do without my chilly paws wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee (Starbucks' sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce Latte), tea (Lipton's Vanilla Caramel Truffle black tea), or cider (Alpine sugar-free Spiced Cider).
5. I can't tell you how many quilts I own; I buy a new one at least once a year, if not more often. My newest one arrived this week--a yellow satiny plum-blossom print on sale at Urban Outfitters for a mere $25. With some new, firm pillows from Target I am slowly crafting my bed into a delicious and irresistible pile of warmth and comfort.
Speaking of, my head is about to explode with sinus pressure so I'm going to take a Sutafed, whip up some cider, and snuggle under my quilt with Ring For Jeeves. Maybe the next 3 months won't be so terrible...
