Television

Our television has arrived. Why have we not thought of having one before? 
Once lit, an endless glow of entertainment for all those empty evenings. What's more, it gives off something that we have not been too familiar with in recent months, warmth.
Who cares if it is ugly with the looks from a previous bad haircut generation, it works! 
No longer the embarrassment of having to ask any visitors that they can keep their coat on inside. And we are wearing at least one less jumper each now, what elation!
Now we can see where our handy work from the October slog in the forest ends. A silent pleasure watching the burning wood behind the screen. It even has a fancy lever for airflow, and magically the flame disappears or sparks back to life. No need to switch channels, or fighting over any remote. And it can be left on all day, slowly dispersing a soft heat which this place has not experienced before. A wonderful feeling to come back to from the bitter winds or rain of outdoors this week. 

In fact, it could be better than television. 

A cup of sugar

A cup of sugar with a hint of coffee and hot water from the vending machine at Brno bus station. A half way stop for my travel to the gorgeous Prague, a sixteen hour round trip over two days for a one hour work meeting. Observing every spec of detail on the giant billboards that farmers have allowed in their fields as we approached each city peripheral. Anything to take my mind off how long this journey takes. 
But the horribly, dirty car fumed melting snow next to the motorway is a sign that the bottom depth of winter has left us. 
Once home, the sun shines and the garden shed construction re-starts. The final selection of crumbly lathes and rusty nails left here to make up this crafty bodge job. By the summer it will hopefully look as if it has always been here, lived in and intentionally rustic.
Our ice rink style road has now given in to pigs wallow, but that doesn't stop the arrival of our new heating stove. A bit late to take affect for this season but a welcome sight for the next cold spell. In fact the large ugly 1980's tv style screen it has will be a pleasure to watch as the wood burns happily. 
This winter has been tough and emotional with the cold. We only have three rooms for solitude. We can't complain when neighbours have less, but the twisted change of politics has given extra unnecessary anxiety even if it can feel thousands of miles away. We will soldier on and enjoy each task, each progressive step we take and carry on with plan A until we cannot. We know we are still lucky to have had this experience.