That's it. There's nothing more witty or more descriptive about this post than the title - I hate November.

Please make it stop. November has been far too extended for my liking and I just don't think I like the way it's heading.

Darkness.
Rain.
Grey.
No apartment.
Fog.
Chronically late trains.
Living in limbo.
Empty purse with Christmas approaching.
Sunrise at 8am.
Sunset at 3.30pm.
Seven months to Midsummer.

Ummm... yes... November.
November is evil and a blight on our existence.
Is it over, yet?
Of course not.

I know what you are thinking. What has she got to complain about. And yes, I do know that there are people in the world who don't have a place to live in nor even enough money to take a train. There are people without clean water to drink; there are even people - God forbid - who have to scramble and fight and sweat for every meagre scrap of food so that they can feed themselves and their children, because of drought, or flood, or civil war.

But this blog isn't about those people. It's about me. And I am grumpy, because of bloody November. So let me whinge in peace.

There. That’s better.



On a more positive note, I’ve become addicted to a new delicious tea called Vinter te (Winter Tea). It is a blend of fine Sri Lankan tea, spiced with cinnamon, pepper, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Lars-Göran’s daughter brought me some when she last came to visit and it is wonderful to smell that tempting aroma as it brews. The tea came in a beautiful box made of plaited palm leaves and was the perfect gift for me. It has been a bright point in the long, dark month.

Come on December with your lights, candles, Lucia buns, glögg, markets and season of good cheer.