from palm tree to cream tea: September 2010

I am not use to different seasons, I am just not. It is starting to get colder here, and every time I communicate my freezing feelings, everyone tells me, "Just wait for winter, just you wait." Does that make me excited for the winter? NO. But this post is dedicated to 'trying to embrace the winter'. I have realized from growing up in California that I have two (at least) semi-subconscious mindsets dealing with the weather:

1. It doesn't rain all that often in Southern Cali, and when it does (for me) it is sort of a treat. And because of the nature of the 'rain storm,' I grew up with the mindset that if it was raining today, it would most likely be sunny tomorrow. And if it wasn't sunny tomorrow, and happened to last more than 4 days, this would be considered a major storm, on television, and possibly associated with flooding.

THEREFORE...

When it would rain growing up, it was a special time to get snuggly, make yourself a cup of cocoa, grab a book and a blanket, and put off any sort of errands that needed to be run, or anything else I was planning because of the inevitability of sun in the following days. So here when it is rainy I have the deep rooted idea in my head that I should put off everything I was going to do, and just have a 'lazy' day. Ya, productivity is going to go down the drain real fast if this mindset isn't altered.

2. I was realizing this week that I have no sense of seasons ending, and new ones beginning. In California weather isn't always perfect... some weeks it feels almost unbearably hot, and other weeks it can feel quite cold, but the difference I have noticed, is this: Weather can be bad in California but it is never a depressing thing because it always evens out. What might be a 'hot spell' or a 'cold spell' will last for a couple weeks, but there is always the assurance it will go back to being comfortable after a matter of days, maybe weeks. So this week has been quite cold here in England, and at first it didn't get me down because subconsciously I believed that in a couple weeks it would go back to being the comfortable summer we have had so far. But then I realized my folly, and as people here like to remind me- it is only going to get colder. HELP!!

And as this is a weather adventure for me, I feel oblivious regarding dressing warmly. What was warm in California is not going to cut it here- especially as we walk everywhere. The following are some pictures of clothes that will hopefully inspire me to get excited for this ensuing change of weather.

I love the mitten/glove things: