Dear reader, it feels like the chill weather is finally getting to me. This morning I found it hard to pull myself out from under the covers, and the wood floor of the cottage does little to hold in the heat. I have almost finished a small rug to keep beside the bed, that way I do not have to let my feet touch the floor while I am dressing. And right now I am making some hearty potato soup with melted cheese to help keep me warm.
Since the afternoon of ice skating with Elise and Davy, I’ve had little time for play. I’m running low on many of the Impressions I use to make my basic remedies: chiefly those needed to mix up Cheer, for which I tend to favor Impressions gathered in the spring. Things like the scent of fresh flowers and the taste of sweet fruit do so much to lift the spirit. And while some winter things, like the many goings on of Wysolice, are full to bursting with goodness, I find too many of them in a single remedy can be overwhelming. Like ginger in a cookie, a little goes a long way. So I’ve had to make do the best I can with the little I have left. I’ll have to be sure to gather lots more when spring does finally come.
When Mary Colson came by at last week’s market, I only had one small bottle of Cheer. But she didn’t seem at all worried, laughing that when you ran a tavern and inn, you learned how to make the most of things. Her rosy cheeks and bright face stood out so much on what seemed such a dreary day, and when I asked her how it was that she always seemed to be in such good spirits, she only laughed again. “Oh a little bit, here and there” she said and explained that there was always something to make you smile. Goodness, her smile was so warm and sunny it made me smile too, and then we both stood there laughing together like two silly fools.
Hmm…I wonder how to keep that happiness, the same way she does. This week I’ve been struggling to get the Joy remedy right, and it has been rather vexing. My Impressions are good, as far as I can tell, but when I put them all together, well, it turns out flat, nothing at all like the Joy I am hoping to capture. Cheer is simple by comparison. When I’m not running low on ingredients, a good balance of nice things always seems to turn out right, but this Joy … it’s trickier than I imagined. I must be missing something... if I were with Auntie Ember she’d know what it was, and being with my family always fills me with joy. Oh well, perhaps, dear reader, what I need is a little break. I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon, and Mary Colson said there’s always something to make you smile. Well right now for me, I think it is a bowl of warm potato soup.