January Blues

January never claimed to be a joyful month, but it doesn't deserve all the bad press either! In our experience, January is full of promise and subdued joy just waiting to be discovered by those who take the time to be observers! The stress from the end-of-year festivities has cooled off and a brand new year has brought excitement, personal motivations and resolutions.

In our northern hemisphere we gain an extra hour of daylight between Christmas Day and 25th January. Meanwhile in our warmer regions the earlier floral messengers of Spring, namely narcissi and daffodils, start coming into their own.

January is still a time to enjoy those richer dishes, indulgent desserts and comfort food at large (bend those resolutions once in a while!), from homemade waffles served with rich hot chocolate, to family-sized pots. It's a time to be homely, snuggled up in a mohair wool blanket on the sofa by the fireplace, with a good book and good sounds. It might be a time for reflection and instrospection but as for the proverbial "January blues", the only type of blues we know about is purely colour-related, and being the optimistic kind we like to keep it that way!

Source : (1) Pastel Swirl Cake, by Sweetapolita, via Flickr.