Progress

I intend to write a post, inspired by some of my favourite blogs, on seeking out colour in this the gloomiest of months. At the moment all I can hear is the splash of surface water on the road outside and hailstones hitting the window. My fingers and toes are constantly cold. It keeps raining and when it's not raining it's threatening to. Grey, grey, grey. It may be one of my favourite colours but I do believe in everything in moderation. 

When the sky, the ground and most things in between are the hue of a dirty woollen blanket - well, it gets a bit much. Even for a self-professed pluviophile.

So that's a project for later this week: to get out and get snapping at anything bright and beautiful. In the meantime I'm staying indoors and toddler-chasing and, during quiet periods, indulging in that most January of pastimes: pondering. My most recent post was all about being brave, taking chances, dipping a toe in. And that's what I'm doing.

A risk, a chance, a knock on a door. Every day. And I'm writing each one down (notebook fiend that I am). Not all these things are a big deal; maybe I'll simply cook something different and a bit challenging. One day I may speak to someone new, start a conversation. Yesterday I decided to give Facebook another go and I put a page together outlining my photography and writing then - gulp - set it free. There's something quite daunting about the prospect of people you actually know reading your blog. Which sounds ridiculous considering it's out there on the internet for all to see.

But I did it. People 'liked' it. Some will have clicked 'like' without even looking at it. That's OK.

There's something good about trying something a little bit daunting each day. And it gives you a sense of achievement too, a 'to do' ticked off the list. I'm hoping it turns into a habit. I'll stop short at 'addiction' - I doubt I'll ever be an adrenaline junkie or even a thrill seeker. But seeking out new things, pushing yourself that tiny bit further and finding - to your surprise - that you can do it: that's got to be good for your self-belief.

Yes, I'm aware that things will occasionally fall flat or backfire. But I also think that most won't. So there's a bit of optimism for you in the bleak not-even-there-yet Midwinter.

P.S. Thank you to the people who contacted me regarding iron deficiency. I know the cause of mine and I'm taking measures to deal with it. And I'm feeling far better than I have in ages.