We Are Not Made Of Sugar, Grandma!

Said Rosie, when I muttered about the heavy rain on a trip to the coast last year. Her Mum helpfully gave me the Dutch version "Jij bent niet van suiker gemaakt" - and I try to remind myself of this when it starts to rain, and I'm tempted to get in the car instead of on my bicycle for a quick trip to the Village Shop. Then of course the Norwegians say this little rhyming couplet

there's no

dårlig vær, 

[bad weather] 

just 

dårlig klær! 

[bad clothes]

I have been thinking about this a lot recently.

I did my seasonal wardrobe sort - and then October brought us some very unseasonal weather. Bob has been outside in his shorts, and I've been cycling wearing a teeshirt and no jacket or jumper. I did get caught out one day wearing sandals and came home with rain-sodden cold feet. I am very fond of dressing in layers, so I can add one or peel one off, depending on the temperature 

Then I found another Norwegian word-  friluftsliv - this means "free-air life" and the term was coined by playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1859, to convey a spiritual connection with nature. This 'getting outside in the fresh air is good for your soul' concept is huge in Norway - check out the  Visit Norway website which lists loads of activities, and shares fascinating facts

• 90% of Norwegians say that friluftsliv is important to them - 
• Friluftsliv has its own law, Friluftsloven, which includes the right to roam
• Norway has several outdoor kindergartens [friluftsbarnehager], where the children spend 80 per cent of the time outdoors. [we are getting more 'forest nursery schools' in the UK now]
• Many Norwegians look for an active partner, and it’s not unusual to go hiking or cycling on the first date.
• In Norway, there are government-sponsored “libraries” where you can borrow outdoor gear.
• In Norway, you can take a bachelor’s degree in friluftsliv.

I had friends in Dorset who were into the Japanese idea of shinrin yoku - forest bathing - an ancient practice of being calm and relaxing among the trees. But this is much more than that. 

I am trying to get outside in the fresh air every day if I can. Maybe just a walk to the medical centre to collect our pills [oh, the joys of old age!] or a cycle ride to the village post office. But some days maybe just a walk around the garden, pulling out the odd weeds, saying encouraging words to the walking onions or perhaps having breakfast or a midmorning cuppa sitting outside [if it is not too wet or windy] It ups my body's supply of Vitamin D, and lifts my spirits. Scientists have shown that exposure to morning sunlight helps reset our circadian rhythms and benefits our night time sleep patterns. 

So I WILL wrap my weather scarf round my neck, put on a warm coat and good footwear, and sally forth into the fresh air for a brief while, EVERY day. Even if what I really want is to do my knitting in front of the TV, with a mug of tea beside me.

I'm not sure what the weather was like outside Tate Britain on Saturday - but one member of my family was certainly making sure she had the right clothes for the occasion. [Maybe she wants to audition for Cabaret, or Wicked!]

Are you a fresh air fanatic, or do you prefer warm and cosy?