Sunday journalling prompt

Befriending the cold

*This was accidentally already sent out on Friday, and then I took it down before I’d realised that it would be in everyone’s inboxes already - so posting it again today for anyone who reads online. Sorry for any confusion!*

Hello,

Whitstable has landed in a rare cold snap, and it’s all we can talk about. In my writing shed, it was 0°C on Wednesday morning, which I’ll admit was a bit of a shock. Even my washing up liquid had frozen solid. It was like working in a fridge. 

But I lit my stove, and settled down in my coat, hat and fingerless mittens, and before I knew it I wasn’t even noticing the cold. Is it terrible to admit I didn’t hate it? It was actually quite lovely in there, the air dry and still so that the ice couldn’t bite. When I boiled water for tea, the steam filled the room and hung in the air like a cloud. 

To be fair, I’ve always run on the warm side, and most of the time I just don’t feel the cold (I’ve passed this on to Bert: he’s currently sitting on the sofa in a T-shirt, while H is wondering whether he should put on another sweater). I know that others have a much harder time getting warm, and that shedworking through winter - particularly in a place with no electricity - is not everyone’s dream.