Winter Tea

It’s bitter and snowy outside tonight but I’ve got my hands curled around a big mug of custom-blend Winter Tea….so let it snow!

This delectable concoction was born a couple of months ago when I decided to throw some of my favourite things together and see what alchemy occurred.  The answer: true magic!  The result is a syrupy, dark nectar - the ultimate comforting, winter warmer (and a seriously good cold remedy).  I’ve drunk it pretty much every day since.

If you want to try it, then the abracadabra ingredients are:

1 peppermint teabag
A hunk of cinnamon stick
A chunk of boiled liquorice (I buy mine in sticks from the health food shop and break each one into pieces)
A slice of fresh ginger
A small handful of goji berries
A teaspoon of honey

Just pour boiling water over then leave everything to brew for a few minutes.  Give the tea a really good stir then either strain it or drink it as is  (the goji berries will bob against your lips but you can always eat them!).

Of course, you need a pretty huge mug to accommodate all this delicious stuff and still have room for a decent amount of water.  But it tastes so good you’ll want a proper mugful.  Besides, a big cup gives you more surface area to wrap your mitts around!

My own special mug - shown above - came from a little store in Burlington, Vermont, many years ago.  It’s rather too big for ‘normal’ tea but absolutely perfect for this.

Oh, one final tip.  If you do give it a whirl, then make sure you empty the cup of all the bits and pieces as soon as you’ve finished drinking the liquid inside.  Otherwise the liquorice has a habit of welding itself to the mug making it nigh on impossible to clean!

Features of the Landscape: The Moors

I thought this year I’d take you on a tour of some of the features that make up the Pennine landscape – those things which contribute to its unique identity.

Of course, there’s only one place to start – and that’s with the moors.  Stretching for mile upon mile across the Pennine hills, the moors are synonymous with this area’s bleak and rugged beauty.  It’s a bleakness some find too harsh, but which others love.

The moors by definition cover upland areas where the climate is too hostile for cultivation.  There are few trees.  Just mile after wild mile of heather and bilberries and coarse grass.

Hardy breeds of sheep can survive on the terrain; and gamekeepers monitor the numbers of grouse and other game birds.  But mostly, the moors are deserted places – home to wild animals and visited only occasionally by hikers and dog walkers.

I’m one of those who has been seduced by the spare beauty of the moors.  Who revels in their changing moods and can find endless interest in their stark aspect.  But that, I’m sure, is patently obvious.

New Home!

New year, new website!

Dixon Hill has a new home on the web (we’ve moved from Wordpress to Squarespace). Which means that if you subscribe to the blog, you’ll need to RESUBSCRIBE. You can do that at the top right of this page (please do!).

The changes are mostly cosmetic right now but over the coming weeks and months there’ll be all sorts of new stuff appearing. First up will be an extra post each week. Monday Meditation is designed to start your week in a positive way. A pretty picture and juicy quotation will connect you with what matters and put you in a good place. Watch out for it from the beginning of February.

There may be one or two teething problems with the site over the next few days. But if you experience hiccups beyond that then please let me know. I’ll be glad of the tip-off.

Finally, just have to say an ENORMOUS thank you to my techy guru husband without whom none of this would have happened. I’m so grateful for an expertise I don’t possess!

The Wisdom of the Spindly Tree

(Observed putting forth buds in the midst of a terrific storm.)

Don’t be distracted by what’s happening around you. Don’t make excuses or wait for another day. Focus quietly on the job in hand. Stick to your purpose. Go gently but doggedly about your business.

Then, when it’s time to blossom, you’ll be ready.

My ABC Of Important Things

Wholly inspired by Susannah Conway’s post of the same title last week, here’s my version:

A is for Animals.  Joss the dog and Nettle the cat.  They’ve travelled to America and back with me. They’re the best companions I could ever wish for.  I love them with a passion.

B is for Books.  Life-long love affair.  And as for bookshops….

C is for Colour.  It rocks my world.

D is for Dixon Hill.  The house that turned into a blog that turned into a business.

E is for E-courses.  Love doing them.  Love creating them.  Very proud of Falling Into Place.  Next one’s in the pipeline.

F is for Fruit, Films, Flip-flops, Family, Friends. So many good and important things begin with F.

G is for Gratitude.  Powerful, transformative stuff.  (Also for Glasses.  Sad to say, but these days I can’t read a thing without them.  Which makes them about the most important thing I own.  Sigh!)

H is for Health.  Having lost so many years of my life to illness, this is something I never take for granted.

I is for Instagram.  My social media comfort zone.  The single biggest reason I now feel qualified to call myself a photographer.

J is for Jumping Up and Down.  Any exercise I do has to be fun and non-competitive.  Bouncing on my rebounder puts a big smile on my face.  As does hula-ing in my hoop.

K is for Kate.  Best mate and companion for the journey.  I waited many years for a friend like Kate.  Definitely worth the wait.

L is for Lists.  Where would I be without them?!

M is for the Moors.  They’re my daily fix of beauty; my space to think; the place I get to spend time with my dog; the reason I’m primarily a landscape photographer; the heart of my blog.  Oh, and an excuse to wear my wellies every day.

N is for Network.  The inspiration and encouragement that abound amongst the online creative community are truly amazing.  And act as rocket fuel.

O is for Overcoming.  Of all the things of which I’m proud, I’m most proud of overcoming all the bad stuff life‘s thrown my way.  There’s been a fair bit of it.  But I’m still here.  And I’m still smiling.

P is for Piano.  Mine’s currently in storage.  Lost without it.  Can’t wait to have it back.

Q is for Quiet.  I’m a country girl.  I’m a homebird.  I spend lots of time alone.  And I like it quiet, please.

R is for Radio.  Except, that is, when I want the radio on.  Classic FM.  Radio 4. My life is richer for you both.

S is for Support.  From my husband.  My parents. My friends.  None of us succeeds alone in this world.  Massively grateful to all of the above.  Whom I love dearly.

T is for Technology queen!  Who’d have thought it?  I LOVE my laptop, iPad, iPhone.  And the worlds and opportunities they open up.  So happy to be of the generation that’s wowed by this stuff.  (In the past folk didn’t have it; in the future they’ll take it for granted.)

U is for Upside.  There’s always one.  Important to find it.

V is for Vitamix.  Kitchen stalwart.  Source of daily smoothies and juices.

W is for Work.  I love working.  If writing and taking pictures constitute work.  Which apparently they do.

X is for eXcellence.  I strive for it always.

Y is for Yorkshire.  The county I’ve called home for the greater part of my life.

Z is for that particular shade of Zesty, Zingy lime green you’ll find on my blog.  And my handbag.  And my purse.  And half my wardrobe.  And with which I’m slightly obsessed.