One of the things I missed most about Britain whilst I lived in Arkansas was the abundance of spring bulbs we enjoy here each year. And so I’ve looked longingly for the first signs of blooming throughout these winter months.

Today my wait was over. What began as one small clump of snowdrops has - by dint of splitting them every two or three years - become a respectable community of small blossoms flanking the lane.

But this was the first to droop its dainty head this year. It opened this morning and glowed demurely through the foggy dampness. And welcomed me back to the prospect of an English spring.

Today we took a walk in the woods,

Girls and dogs and snow and fog.

Wrapped by mist in our own muffled world.

A pond frozen over, a grotto asleep,

Dogs chasing snowballs that dissolved in mid-air,

A pylon that loomed like a giant on stilts...

A magical, monochrome morning.

If the old rhyme is prophetic, then the worst of winter should be over; for today brought cloud and rain (not to mention snow!).

And now for a commercial break.....

I want to point you in the direction of a couple of friends of mine who've been creating lovely things of late.

My pal, Ali, has - finally! - started a blog. Ali lives in the Rocky Mountains and Sweetest Littles gives you a glimpse into her world and the small things she takes joy in. The blog is as lovely as she is. (I’m particularly enraptured by the photos of the playhouse she made for her children.) Pop on over and leave a comment saying Hello. She'll be delighted to see you.  Tell her I sent you and she’ll be extra nice to you! J

 Photograph courtesy of and copyright © Alison DeJohn

Next, I want to introduce you to the work of another friend. Jenna is a wonderfully talented writer and her online home, The Word Cellar, is always worth a visit. Recently, she published a little book called Lanterns - a collection of stories, poems and photographs by Jenna and a group of her chums. It celebrates the friendship of women and the role of companions on the creative journey. The book may be modest in size but dipping into its pages leaves you feeling bigger. All swollen with hope and dreams. It’s an affirming book. An accepting, connecting, encouraging book. And the cover photograph by Darlene J Kreutzer is just plain gorgeous. You can order Lanterns here.

                                                                Copyright © 2009 Darlene J Kreutzer

.....OK, end of commercial break.  Normal programming will resume 

shortly. J

We've had a mulberry day, Claire and I.

We wore mulberry clothes...

Played with mulberry paper...

Ate mulberries...

Now we're thoroughly mulberried!

EDIT: Several people have asked me where I get mulberries from.   In the UK, I buy mine online from Raw Living. In the US, you can get them from Living Tree Community Foods.  I don't think I've ever had their mulberries but, when I lived in the States, I bought lots of other stuff from them and their produce is of the highest quality.  Can't be bettered.  Also, I've just searched and discovered a company called Nuts Online that sells them in the US very cheaply. I've never bought from this company so can't vouch for them, but the mulberries they picture look the same as the ones I buy. 

If you've never tried a mulberry, I highly recommend them.  They have a sweet, honeyed flavour and a slightly chewy texture.  Extremely moreish!

I have a new toy! A fermenting crock pot! I’ve been wanting one of these for a while.

For those who are looking mystified, the Gärtopf is for making sauerkraut - nice, healthy, unpasteurised sauerkraut with all the beneficial bacteria intact.

My first batch is already fermenting. Into the pot went two heads of red cabbage, an apple and a few pieces of kombu (seaweed). In two or three weeks time, out should come several jars worth of delicious fermented veggies.

So now I just have to be patient and resist the urge to sneak a peak inside that hugely heavy earthenware pot. Mustn’t break the airtight seal at any cost. Oh, no. I’ve got to sit tight, stare at it lots…..and wait and see.

I’ll keep you posted.

This post’s for Rachael - an old friend of mine who was recently bemoaning the fact that, since taking on the financial burdens of being a home-owner, life has become dull. She no longer has the wherewithal to add spice to her life in the ways she once did.

That comment was too much of a challenge….and my feverish brain immediately went into overdrive, imagining ways to make Rachael’s life (and anyone else’s for that matter) more thrilling.

Of course, if you’re out to create excitement in your life, you first need to define what excitement means to you. Is it daring? Fun? Sociable? Does it mean new projects or places unknown? So ponder that one, then - if your life could use a little lift - tackle this portentous list and, by the time you reach the bottom, I guarantee your life will be a touch livelier than it is now. J

1. Make a vision board of everything that epitomises excitement for you and invite some of that into your life.

2. Google ‘exciting things to do for free’. You’ll find a ton of stuff: lists of galleries and museums that cost nothing to look around; glorious gardens you can trudge around without spending a farthing; free concerts and festivals; TV shows that give out audience tickets gratis; websites on which you can register to get free tickets to film premieres; and a whole host of other ideas.

3. Find an excitable chum and challenge each other to do one truly jolly thing a month. Or, better still, why not arrange surprises for each other? Take turns to plan thrilling little adventures to be undertaken together - or separately if you happen to live several hundred (or thousand) miles apart. (Here’s one to start you off. Go on a £5 shopping expedition. Or £10. You set the limit. Choose a quaint little town or a big, bustling city. But the rule is to have as much fun or acquire as many treasures as you can for the price.)

4. Choose one occasion each month to celebrate. It can be Midsummer’s Day in June, or the anniversary of acquiring your pet tortoise in September. Then put your brain to work and come up with cheap and superbly cheerful ways to do it.

5. Make a list of ‘Things I have never done but would like to’ and see how many you can tick off your list by the end of the year.

6. Declare this ‘The Year of….’ (see this post) and cram as much of your chosen activity into the months ahead as possible.

7. Challenge yourself to learn a new skill. You never know where it will lead you.

8. Become a guerilla artist or poet. Draw small pictures or pen a verse or two - or just copy out favourite quotations - then slip them into the pages of library books or leave them where strangers will chance upon them….and brighten someone’s day.

9. Arrange to meet an old friend at the regional sculpture park. ;)

10. Start a blog!

A week ago I’d never heard of Craft Hope; but then the online creative community became all abuzz with support for this fantastic initiative. So much support that the girls there have been swamped in the best possible way.

In response to the earthquake in Haiti and wanting to send money, rather than the made items they usually send to projects around the world, the folk at Craft Hope opened an Etsy shop. They asked the crafting community to donate handmade goods to sell in the shop….and have been totally overwhelmed by the response. To date, they’ve sold over a thousand items and raised more than $20,000! In fact, they’ve had so many beautiful and lovingly-made gifts sent their way that they’ve temporarily had to close the doors to new treasures, while they clear the backlog and get systems in place to deal with this avalanche of compassion.

But the shop is still open for business. So click the button above (the Craft Hope for Haiti image) and have a good browse. Every last cent of whatever you purchase will go to help the work of Doctors Without Borders for people whose lives have been riven apart and who so desperately need our help.

Since the snowy weather descended a month or more ago, I’ve taken to wearing a shawl on top of my coat - after the fashion of the Chalet School girls.

Did you ever read those books? I adored them. The Chalet girls went to school in the Austrian Tyrol in the days before central heating, so they knew a thing or two about keeping warm. They would wear enormous shawls, wrapped across their fronts and tied behind.

Mine isn’t quite that big, so I just fasten it at the front. It was woven on a tri-loom by the lady from whom I bought it at War Eagle Fair in north-west Arkansas. It keeps me snug when I’m huddled over my laptop; then serves duty again when Joss and I go rambling about the moors.

The corsage pinning it together in the photo above is the one my chum, Claire, made me as a Christmas gift. It’s a badge of friendship.

So, whilst I may look like an anachronism from Miss Marple’s era, my peculiar outfit makes me feel toasty and loved and like the heroine of a favourite book.

Which will do for me.

Once upon a time there was a large, dry hollow in the earth. Until, one day, a raindrop fell from the sky. Moments later, it was followed by another. And after that, one more. A tiny trickle of water meandered its way across the ground.

More raindrops fell. One by one by one. And soon there was a small puddle.

Another raindrop fell to earth. And, look! Another! Another! Soon the puddle turned into a rivulet, winding its way over the parched land.

Raindrops continued to stream down. Single drop by single drop. And, in time, the rivulet grew to be a pond.

Yet more drops appeared to join the rising water. And so the pond widened and deepened and became a lake.

Still another drop fell. And another. And another. The lake became a sea.

On came the raindrops! Drop upon drop upon drop falling from the heavens. So now the sea swelled to a mighty ocean.

And that mighty ocean was made up of millions upon millions of single drops of water. All collected together.

And the roar of the ocean was tremendous. And the power of the ocean was awesome. And the sight of the ocean was balm for the soul. And the scent of the ocean refreshed all who drew breath.

Every tiny drop counts. Together we can make a difference. To make a donation to the aid appeal for Haiti go to the DEC website.