I don’t know about you but 2022 , well, I can’t decide if it got off to a slow start or is just flying on through.

I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago but had a few technical issues (the format of the photos changed and I didn’t know what to do!), anyway, I decided just to post it. After all, so much of it can apply at anytime. Hope you have a good day!

Sometimes I think I have magpie tendencies. I like nothing better than to gather together bright shiny strands from all parts of my life. This then, helps me to build a sort of collage picture of hope.

I don’t think I’m alone in finding January and February a bit challenging but this is the recipe I’m using right at this very minute to help me and I hope that in some way it may help or inspire you too.

1. Taking a look around the garden and spotting this sedum popping through.
2. Lighting candles and then taking time to read.
3. Going to the Zandra Rhodes exhibition – an absolute explosion of colours, pattern and inspiration!
4. Listening to a podcast. At the moment my favourite is Viv Groskop’s, ‘How to Own the Room.’
5. Writing, of all kinds.
6. Going for a walk.

At times like these, when the dark winter days are slowly, slowly changing to the brighter days of spring I remind myself it can be a good thing to think small to get started with. Progress doesn’t have to be big to be effective. So it was interesting for me to read the title Anya Hindmarsh chose for her autobiography: ‘If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair’. In fact it made me laugh as, over the years, I’ve developed my own wee routine for those days of doubt.

So here it is, my six-step plan. For the days when I wake up and don’t know where to begin.

Any order.

1. Brush my teeth
2. Have a shower
3. Go for a walk
4. Do the dishes
5. Make a pot of soup and then eat a big bowl of it!
6. Phone a friend/ family member.

Is there something you would add to make it super-duper seven step plan? (Or should that be ‘souper-duper’?)

Bonus soup recipe – with thanks to my Mum and most, likely, the Woman’s Weekly.

• 2 mugs red lentils – rinsed
• 1 onion – diced
• 5 carrots – peeled and diced
• 2 pints of water
• 2 tins of Heinz tomato soup

• Book: ‘Do One Thing Every Morning to Make Your Day’
• Poem for Every Night of the Year’ Edited by Allie Esiri.
• ‘Hawkeye’ by George MacKay Brown.
• ‘The Moon Sister’ by Lucinda Riley.
• TV: BBC iPlayer: Around the World in 80 Days
• Song to dance to: Madonna – ‘Hung Up’.

NB. Please note that there are many great organisations out there ready to help. There is a really helpful list

here.