Winter's Pleasures

If you're looking for reasons to like the long dark evenings of winter, sometimes they are hard to come by. It's chilly and often wet, and it doesn't get light until late, then it fades to dark again early. We miss the bright, long days of summer. We feel better when the sun is high and the air is warm.

Happily, there are substances in the world that have stored that light and warmth for you and will give them back in a gentle glow. Candles. This is the time of year for candles. In full summer, I feel foolish lighting candles at dinner time, because the sun is so strong that you can barely see the flames. But in the winter, candles come into their own. 

You don't need fancy ones - we get votives in bags of 50 at the import chain stores and they last very well. A simple shell or dish on the table can make a pretty holder for a votive candle (or several, for even greater effect), or you can delve into your cupboards looking for those candle holders I know you have and make a really elegant showing of tall tapers.

Either way, you have just elevated even your dinner of leftovers to a higher plane. The light is softer, kinder, prettier, and not only you but your dinner will look better bathed in it. It's a small reason to relish long winter evenings, but a potent one with a promise of brighter days to come.