A few weeks ago Leah had the brilliant idea of writing two shorter posts. I am trying this today. 

Winter Warmers

This is about cold acceptance. The New Year has begun and winter is still with us.

Okay we can sit at home and mope, complaining about the cold, the wet and short daylight hours. Or we can accept the wintry conditions and make the most of them. Accept the season is here for a while and  has its own set of benefits. Here are some ideas:

Entertain at Home - Invite a few family or friends into your home. Eat good food, play board games and socialise.

Enjoy Outside - Wear many layers of clothing, a woolly hat and thick gloves. Then start moving. If you can, get slightly breathless and immerse yourself in nature. Notice the colours, the stillness and the different bird varieties.

Book Reading - Find a comfortable seat, ensure you are warm, and lose yourself in an absorbing novel. Choose somewhere you will not be disturbed

Roast Dinners - Indulge in a special Sunday lunch. Steaming hot meat, crispy roast potatoes, at least three other vegetables and plenty of gravy and other sauces.

Film Night - Choose a popular film with some emotion. Snuggle down in front of the fire and let your mind journey with the story.

Daughters

Many times on the Moodscope Blog reference is made to close family members; wives, husbands, children, grandchildren etc.

They all have an important effect on our MH. 

I have just made an amazing realisation. I have 5 daughters (at the last count!). For someone, who when first married had no great yearning for children, this is an incredible discovery. They all fall within the age range 40 to 50 years old.  

For most of my life I have been surrounded by females. I started as an only child with only one mother! My first wife was the eldest of 3 daughters and we had 3 daughters in a 5 year period not long after we wed. 

For the sake of privacy I am calling my daughters 1,2,3,4 and 5. I will briefly explain how they fit (or not) into my life, listing in age order:

Number 1  is the eldest and the daughter of Mrs Teg so actually my step daughter. She came into my life about 30 years ago, lives nearby and visits often.

Number 2  is the eldest of the 3 daughters I had with my first wife. She lives in another part of the country and we communicate by e-mail only.

Number 3  is now an American citizen and there has been no contact for 22 years.

Number 4  also lives in another part of the UK; she has not contacted me for several years.

Number 5  is relatively new. If you have read my previous Posts you may have guessed. Yes, I have “adopted” my therapist!

I am just illustrating our different family situations. There are so many “unorthodox” families in the modern world and these can have a major impact on our MH.

Teg

A Moodscope member