Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Potential suicide note

Jan 10 145

We have had more snow, and I am as disconsolate as a disconsolate sheep. (The snow has even had a deleterious effect on my similes.)

Yes, yes, I know that this long winter is NOT unprecedented. I know we had a similar one in 1979. And yes, yes, I have heard all about the glorious spring we are due for – with everything bursting out all at once, etc. etc. but I am still fed up. (that is the polite version.) I am still sick to the back teeth of snow and ice and leaden skies. And for all of you who are reading this who have long winters every year, you have to understand that the winters here are NOT snowy white, bright and clear and sunny. They are freezing and dull and GREY. And when I say grey, I mean GREY. Occasionally we will get a bright white day when everything looks beautiful but that is rare.

Two months ago, I arranged to go up to my mother’s house for a long weekend with my two sisters, at the end of February, thinking it highly unlikely we’d be worrying about snow and ice on the roads. Looking forward to seeing them all, and seeing Wensleydale, and our brother who lives there, is one of the things that has got me through this dreary winter. So if the winter weather now gets in the way of our weekend together, I’m going to throw myself under a gritting lorry.

So if you don’t hear from me, you will know that it is either because

a/ I am having a great time in Wensleydale, in a house with no internet, or

Kevock 2

b/ I have met my death under aforementioned gritting lorry.

Ah, those innocent untroubled days back in December, when I felt like this.

4 comments:

Sabby said...

Don't do it Sue!!!

That's all the advice I have to give I'm afraid!! I can totally sympathise though, we had four days of snow in central London I think and me and my colleagues were thoroughly fed up and groan very loudly when we get the odd flurry of snow now.

Come to London!! There's no snow here at least :-)

Shafia

Sue Hepworth said...

It's so nice to know somebody cares! If we get another winter like this up here - three months of snow and ice and leaden skies and not being able to get where I want to go - I shall seriously consider moving, Shafia.

Anonymous said...

Here in north-west Pennsylvania we are expecting a winter-storm tomorrow and it will continue, they say, into the weekend. The New England states will feel the brunt of it, but we can expect here at least 6 inches, maybe more. What I don't totally understand is why this doesn't bother me as much as it has in the past 4 years. Last year I would've been morbidly depressed at this news. I gained weight too last year...a lot. Reading your blog about the "dull, grey...leaden skies" made me wonder if the reason for my new attitude is that there are definitely more sunny days this winter than last year. Right now the sky is a beautiful pale blue. I am taking vitamin d to supplement the fact that my body is sun-deprived because it is just too cold to go out for walks, but I do believe the sunny days makes the difference and so I am concerned for you. The winter doldrums are nothing to take lightly. PLEASE don't throw yourself under a gritting lorry! (Here we just call them salt-trucks/plows)If you did that, I would lose my new-found favorite author who wouldn't be there to write another book for me to laugh through!! How selfish is that? ;) I do care and wish I could help out. Unfortunately, what helps me may not help you and vice-versa. What really scares me every winter is falling on ice and breaking or spraining my foot/leg. Now that would be horrible, especially with Spring only about 4-6 weeks away. Who would weed and prune my gardens? The days ARE getting longer, Sue! HOLD-ON!

Marilyn said...

Echoing Shafia - don't do it!! These wintry months are only made bearable for me because my daughter's birthday is in Jan and mine's in Feb - and things don't seem quite so bad somehow. I keep looking forward to my lovely sunny summer holiday (wherever it may be, haven't quite decided yet) and to retirement, which is imminent. What about hunkering down with some quilting or saxophoning or sheep chasing (only kidding with the last one!)? I must say that I am seriously considering moving to Spain, though, once I'm 'properly' retired.