Today, a long line of my old ladies would tell you, is a dreary day. Nevermind that we need the inch of slow cold rain. And yes there are a few bent-necked daffodils in the front garden. But the birds at the feeder stations are mostly starlings, and the entire day is just, well, kind of dark…

Sometimes you just have to make your own spring.

A friend says dress in colours; it helps. So that’s how I started: bright spring-leaf green and vivid blue. A real stretch for a basic black girl.

And then my FAVOURITE tea, in a tea set given me by dear friends many years ago. Plus a pink & white amaryllis cut from the flowering plants in the breakfast room, and stuck in a bud vase. How happy-making is that? You can feel the endorphins kicking in!

So this is my advice on a chilly, drippy day: make something warm, in a pretty cup. Add flowers, if possible. Then go sit and look out on the grey that means spring is allllmoooost here. It helps. Honest.