Andrea here, curating the latest edition of our monthly “Ask A Wench” feature. Given the current times, which seem to be fraught with challenges in so many ways, our question revolves around the little things in Life that cheer us up!
When you need a little comfort in this crazy world, what do you reach for to lift your spirits? A favorite food, book or movie? A fuzzy sweater? A furry friend?
Mary Jo: Can I have all of the above?!!! I have a nice collection of fuzzy sweaters that I alternate through all the cooler seasons, plus fuzzy knee blankets when I’m watching something or reading in the very comfy recliner. For full-on comfort mode, I have the fire, a fuzzy feline nearby, a hot cup of ginger peach tea with a dash of honey, and an e-reader packed full of books. Ahhh…so nice!
Christina: I’m afraid I’m an absolute cliché when it comes to this question – it has to be chocolate for me! There is nothing that gives me more of a boost than a lovely piece of either Cadbury’s Bourneville (plain dark chocolate) or Marabou Dubbelnougat (Swedish milk chocolate ganache bar). I find that when that delicious sweetness melts on your tongue you can forget everything else for at least a few moments and the sugar rush helps to lift your mood.
Of course, there are other ways too. Listening to music can either soothe me or vent my feelings – a really noisy rock song really releases any pent-up emotions. Singing along very loudly is extra helpful, especially if there is no one else around to hear me. (I’ve been told singing is not my forte so I don’t want to inflict it on anyone else.) Escaping into a really good story is another way and one I always use when I travel. I hate travelling, especially flying, but if I’m lost in a story I can forget where I am and it makes the time pass more quickly too so it’s a win-win solution.
Pat: Admittedly, I’m seeking comfort more than usual these days. Just stepping away from the news helps. From there. . . a good book, some sunshine, the ocean surf. . . all those work. I don’t really have a favorite food these days, since I had to cut down on sugar. If it’s a cold gray day, I might break down and bake brownies, but usually only if I expect company to carry off the leftovers.
Right now, I’m sipping hot tea and reading Terry Pratchett. I started with the very first book and I’m re-reading all the way through. I may have to go back and start over when I reach the last one. I just need to know intelligence and humor once existed in this world and might again someday. . .
Nicola: It’s a challenge to keep positive at the moment, that’s for sure! Normally when I need a lift I go out for a walk with my dog Rainbow – the combination of being out in nature and her excitement in exploring the outdoors usually does the trick. However, it’s rained every day for the last forever, the paths are a quagmire and when I open the door, Rainbow sticks her head out, looks at me reproachfully and heads back to bed. Sometimes I’m tempted to do the same!
So, while the rain pounds down outside I do enjoy curling up in front of the wood burning stove with a mug of tea and a good book. Not original, I know, but it works! Tea makes me feel better about almost anything and I always make it in a proper teapot. If there’s a friend and chat involved, that’s even better. Meanwhile, roll on some brighter weather!
Anne: For me, it depends on what has cast me into gloom and doom. Some things make me want chocolate, or junk food like a hamburger or pizza. But I try not to go there. Books are my most frequent escape from the troubles of the world, and there’s nothing like diving in for a lovely reread of some of my favourite comfort reads. But when I had a day job (particularly when I was working in quite a toxic workplace) and I came home feeling all tense and miserable and grumpy and wanting nothing more than to lie on the bed. But my dog would greet me eagerly, tail wagging madly, waiting to go for her evening walk. So I’d reluctantly take her down to the park where many of us walked our dogs — one side of the creek was rather wild with plenty of places to explore, and the other had several green mown playing fields where most of the dogs (and owners) gathered. Those walks always lifted my spirits — the walking, the fresh air and attractive surroundings, but most of all the antics of the dogs playing, which always made me laugh. I’d come home an hour or so later feeling refreshed and my energy renewed. That dog walk still performs its magic, even now when that toxic workplace is long in the past. The dogs change over the years, as do the people, but it’s always a joy.
Susan: My go-to comfort list is pretty simple, and over this cold, snowy, crazy winter, I’ve been reaching for everything on that list! I have some favorite cozy sweaters (loving a fuzzy one in dark green, and a thick, soft brown sweater big enough to get lost in). I’m a tea drinker, so every day I’ll have hot tea with a dash of oat milk and honey (usually black tea, a good spicy chai, or Twinings’ peppermint and vanilla, yum). Lately, I’m making hot cocoa more often at night (I love the kind with calming herbs – I sleep better!).
When I’m down with a cold or flu (which happened recently), I’ll curl up in bed and re-read something dear and familiar, like Mary Stewart’s The Moonspinners. Though I watch carbs, they do help calm cortisol and enhance serotonin, so a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins can be a great comfort too.
But this winter, we have a new source of comfort and fun in our house—a Westie puppy. There are lots of hugs and laughs with this little one, who makes life crazy in the best way. But right now, I could use a little quiet comfort reading time, lol!
Andrea: When I’m in need of comfort, I have three basic activities that always cheer me up—though one of them (baking and eating raisin and walnut blondies glazed with a lemon-sugar glaze) I try use very judiciously. The second is curling up under a down comforter with a good book—which of course I do even when I’m in a great mood! However, the real go-to lift for my spirits is my daily plotting walk. I have regular route that takes me down quiet country lane, through the historic section of my New England “village” and along the harbor road to a point overlooking Long Island Sound.
Even when I’m really feeling down, the little joys Nature—the light on the water, the hawks and seagulls soaring overhead (and once in a while the resident bald eagle) fallen leaves, flowers, to name just a few things that capture my fancy—always make me take a deep breath and let the bad vibes float away.
So what about you? What do you reach for to lift your spirits? Please share! We all need fun strategies to keep the “blue devils” at bay!
It all sounds wonderful, Andrea! I envy your beautiful place for your plotting walks. It’s hard to beat a view of the sea! It’s a gray day here, but my Princess Flufferbella is on my desk within distance and I have a nice fresh mug of coffee, Ahhh……….
Princess Flufferbella would make anyone smile! She is irresistible . . .and knows it!
Susan, your new puppy is too cute for words!
Soothing cups of tea help. I read online that L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea leaves, helps promote relaxation and focus.
Physical activity, like walking in a park or by a river, brings nature’s calmness right to me.
How interesting about the amino acid in tea, Patricia. But it’s no surprise. There is a reason people have been drinking tea for centuries!
And, yes, Nature really does soothe the soul!
What an enjoyable post.
I find comfort in (non-furry) friends and family. I also like to read familiar favorite books. And I definitely have a fondness for chocolate and hot chocolate. Christina, your Marabou Dubbelnougat sounds delicious!
All the comforts you mentioned are also elemental to me.
Friendships are so important. All of us Wenches take such great joy from each other and the community we have with all our readers
Cozy sweaters, socks, and hats that I’ve knit myself; actually the knitting itself is usually calming, too–unless I’ve made mistakes! Chocolate for sure. Favorite books, or new books by favorite authors. And watching my favorite sports teams win–though that can sometimes add to the stress levels!
Knitting looks like so much fun! Alas, I make a hash of it if I don’t stare like a hawk at the needles. I gave up as I didn’t have the patience to unravel and start again! But I’m sorry I can’t make socks and hats!
Reading seems to please all of us . . .and LOL on watching sports. I get very upset if my team doesn’t win, so that not exactly a comfort.
Susan -that is the prettiest Westie I’ve ever seen! Paw-dorable. To raise my spirits-if it were possible-I’d get on a train. I wouldn’t care where I was going as long as the journey was steeped in luxury. So much for imagination. For some people I know, it’s cruises. Fir ne-it would be trains. In practical terms-spending an afternoon with a friend at a lovely Brit-based tea shop. There’s nothing like a tasty sarnie, a scones with jam and clotted cream and a pot of Earl Grey. And if all else fails, there’s always losing oneself in a compelling book. Hmm…I suddenly feel a compulsion to re-read The Accidental Wedding.
Binnie, I love the thought of getting on a train (a luxury one) and heading off on an adventure. I’ve been eyeing off a trip on the Ghan, one of Australian’s great train trips that goes from Adelaide in South Australia, up through the centre of the country, through Alice Springs and right up to Darwin in the far north of the Northern Territory. It’s called The Ghan in memory of the Afghan cameleers who helped open up that outback route under very harsh and difficult conditions. But these days it’s a luxury trip.
Thank you also for the kind words about my book, The Accidental Wedding.
That sounds fabulous, Anne! Can I come along for the ride?
Binnie, I love trains, and a luxury one is a fabulous idea! Shall we all book the Orient Express! Travel, plenty of books, wonderful friends—I’m there! (I love the tea shop, too.)
I’m not a winter person, so some of my favorite comforts, like puttering in the garden or sitting outside in the sun, are not available. I do enjoy curling up in bed or in a recliner with a book. And making some proper tea in a pot, rather than just a teabag and a cup, is a treat. I like to add some dried mint leaves to Earl Grey tea, it’s a good combo. Another way I cheer myself up is to phone a friend-I have a few close friends scattered across the country, and if I can catch one of them at a good time, we’ll have an hour or so conversation, which always makes me feel better.
Talking with friends is such a lift to the spirits. My college roommates and I started zooming during the pandemic, and we have such a good time together that we’ve kept doing it regularly. We talk life, books, family stuff—and just generally make each other laugh. It’s such a tonic!
What a lovely post…i got sone comfort just reading it! When i am in need of comfort, like so many of you, a cup of tea and a good book(or reread of a favorite) helps. I also have a number if art coffee table book i leaf through. Just looking at the pictures takes me away.
Watching one if my favorite classic old movies(usually an adventure-or comedy) is a pick me up by the end of the movie. I am either cheering the hero or laughing at the comedy hijinks. But the best is talking to a good friend on the phone and i usually begin with, “I need to be cheered up” and they usually come through.
Jane, the art books are a great idea! I do that too, as the creativity reminds me of all the wonderful things the mind can do!
Definitely a book, an old favourite if I need cheering up and a walk by the sea. I live close to the seaside and often walk there, It’s the sound of the waves and the rushing up the beach that’s soothing. Nothing like it for me.
I love your new puppy Susan!! What a joy it must be. I bet there’s lots of activity now in the house!!
Teresa, walking by the water is really uplifting for me, too. You’re so right that the sound of the water has an elemental rhythm that is very soothing
Reaching for a good book definitely keeps the blue devils at bay! Also playing my harp or listening to harp music. Just the thing!
Oh, I love harp music, Jeanne! I find it very soothing and sometimes a bit ethereal.
I envy your playing the harp. Is it a large floor one or a small Irish one? I had a friend who used to play, alas she moved away when she retired!
Oh, wow—you play the harp. How fabulous. It’s a beautiful sound
It has been so wet here in the UK lately that my favourite country walks have become too messy, squelching through mud. I now go for country rides in the car, stopping to admire the view between storms and particularly enjoying the cloud formations, occasional blue sky patches and rainbows. There is infinite variety here reminiscent of the abstract expressionism pioneered by Jackson Pollock, though in my opinion nature does a better job! I enjoy all of the other pastimes mentioned by others, especially good romance novels …. recently started on Candice Camp’s Mad Morelands Series, but will reserve discussion for WWR. I would add watching the olympics on TV and match of the day of course. Keep cheerful everyone, things are bound to improve … I hope!
Quantum, I’ve heard that you’ve been drenched over there, while my area has been buried in snow. So, yes, walking isn’t as easy as usual. Watching the clouds, especially when the weather is unsettled, is fascinating. I love t your comparing it to abstract expressionism. So true!
I loved reading all your posts! Hot tea, good books, walks by the sea. (I too live near the seashore.) I would love to get out my knitting needles but haven’t done so since I adopted tw0 nine week old kittens. Is it really five years ago? Now they’re older but still quite playful. Most of all I rely on talking to good friends, on the phone, or arranging to meet in a tea shop. Then there’s historical romance. What would I do without you dear ‘Word Wenches’? Time-travel is my perfect escape bar none!
The kitties sound wonderful, Daniela! And thanks so much for the kind words for the “wenches.” We very much appreciate it!