Weather or not you agree, the daily forecast is the single most thing which is central to our emotional wellbeing. Rain can upset the balance of a mere opening of the curtains, snow can bring the whole country to a standstill and delight many a child and teacher with the words ‘snow day’, and a slight gust of wind can be monikered as ‘storm Dorris or Dave’.

Weather, it appears, has increasingly become more and more newsworthy. Hyped up like the ‘big game’ and discussed like a celebrity wedding or royal birth. Who doesn’t sit glued to the news crews stand knees deep in flood waters and thank god it’s not us? Our morbid curiosity compelling us to watch how far up the lamppost the waters have risen. How many times have you turned on NBC to hurricane watch? I remember spending hours following Hurricane Sandy. My night’s entertainment was watching buildings precariously wobble and glamorous reporters battling wind and rain to report the size of the waves on the ocean front. Disgusting isn’t it? Why would that be entertaining?

But that’s the thing, I’m a realist. I can’t stand anything fake and fanciful. I don’t see the appeal of vampires (no can’t stand Rpatz) and I can’t bear The Doctor (sorry I do realise I’ve alienated many of you). It’s just not real and I love the real. People watching, observing life and relationship building are what float my boat. My book (slow process and I’ll get there) is very much of that ilk. Deeply deconstructed relationship and a melting pot of personalities intertwine a narrative spanning a hundred years. And guess what? The weather always takes centre stage. ‘Pathetic fallacy’ as we call it in the trade. Sets the mood. So what’s my mood?

So, the rain. As we all know we can see summer on the tips of toes. Little snatches; teasers of summer promise have been tantalising us for weeks. However, since working on my garden (not finished but getting there) the days have been mostly dark and full of rain. Not only that but we had a spell of frost that threatened my new plants! It’s like the weather gods were pointing and laughing at my naivety!!

God Aeolus ‘Oi, you! Have you seen that daft mare?
God Zeus ‘She does realise we are going to ruin all her handiwork as much as her daft Rosie Dog has?’

Upshot is my new outside space is very underused and rather battered!

Also, it plays tricks on you. Yesterday I was lulled into a false sense of security. Whilst walking with beautiful friend, child and god children on the beach, I announced ‘let’s have a BBQ as it’s so lovely’ (sun was shining and I had no coat on). We all agreed it was a fabulous idea as we sat eating our ice creams. Cut to me happily walking back from the butchers, swinging my bag of meat and being all smug about shopping local and cutting out the supermarket fat cat. Yes, that’s right, not only was the sun shining, I’d also got the whole saving the local retailer thing nailed too (my veg was being delivered shortly). You know where this is going don’t you? The word ‘smug’ gives it away. I looked up and a large black cloud was looming on the horizon (yes but literally and metaphorically). Two words: indoor BBQ.

Therefore, imagine my surprise and delight when waking from my wonderful Saturday/Sunday slumber (best night for sleeping ever) that not only was the sun shining, it was so super strong it had dried up the garden and lifted the whole mood of the house immensely. All areas of work (home and school) were sacked off in favour of eating all fresco, sunbathing and (when eventually peeled myself off the lounger) a leisurely walk along the beach. We even (much to child hysteria) shelved Sunday dinner plans and stuck a little Greek dish in the oven instead. In fact, the whole day turned into a Greek adventure: homemade tzatziki for lunch, lamb cleftiko for dinner and homemade frappes to cool off. Even the sea looked a little Aegean if you squinted. And tonight the house is still full of sunny vibes and sated bodies. We are even saying ‘if it’s nice like this at half term…’. Yeah, right! Guaranteed if it had been rubbish weather we’d have been moaning all day and saying ‘if it’s been nice we could have jet washed…’ ha! No, we did nothing! In your face jobs list!

This much needed glorious and relaxing day has lifted us all amazingly! Not only that, it’s made up for the relentless rain of Wednesday (which my mum decreed could be ignored if I put my music on). It’s also given us hope for the coming weeks…Cue the hay fever reports, severe weather warnings of it being ‘too hot’ (no such thing says she who gets the monk on when it’s anything less than 40 degrees when on my jollies) and hose pipe bans as we’ve not had enough water (hang on a minute, we were flooding back in January). It’s all we will talk about tomorrow ‘oh what a lovely day it was’ and ‘had anyone read the reports for next week?’ We are obsessed! Moreover I’ve checked: hallelujah Helios! It’s going to be quite a week. So slap on your cream, enjoy that garden chair you never get chance to use and dig out your shorts and flip flops, for once the weather gods are smiling down on is.

Enjoy you lovely lot.

A note: please do not point any blame at me if my forecast is wrong. My information comes directly from my iPhone app and I’m not trained by the Met Office (Although I quite fancy the weather girl job in another life).