Roads to Joy

Cold outside, and getting colder! Awakening to -8ºC the other day, and pretty much freezing thereafter in the early mornings before the sunshine arrives, we’ve been struggling to enjoy the start of our days.

I began to insist that my beloved snuggle under the warm covers for a final snooze, while I finessed the coffee and tea, before bringing a pot, a little jug of milk, and the favoured mug upstairs to greet her. But even with this preparation, it was still challenging to shake off the chill down in the kitchen.

We realised that a cold draft was entering the room through the stable door and playing havoc with the heating system, so a thin line of weather-stripping did the trick. But it was still cold, perhaps because the double exposure of windows, even with their double-glazing, do not make for as opportune a comfort as the panoramic garden view they provide.

We thought, if only we could get a quick blast of heat in the morning, to supplement the solitary kitchen radiator, we’d surely be that much warmer. Considering we’re still hoping to work through a kitchen renovation, it’s challenging to try to find a place for another heat source, much as I love to try my hand at ‘wild plumbing.’

Instead, we’ve opted for an electric wall heater that blows hot air fast and furiously down and over the kitchen island, displacing any cold air emanating through the door. Works a treat, and a thirty minute blast seems about sufficient. Even with today’s energy prices, that kilowatt hour of electricity still feels like good value.

When you’re warm and comfortable, all other of life’s challenges retreat into tractable regions, places where with perseverance they can more or less be dealt with.

And even if there’s no particular issue facing us on a chilly morning, and we just need to wake up, stretch and come to life, it’s better warmer. That simple joy is probably as good a reason to celebrate, as any other, today.