When will it be spring?

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. I was very impressed – and surprised to receive not one, but two bunches of red roses and got taken out for breakfast – after a very cold swim.  

I discovered sea swimming last year. Yesterday was the coldest water I had been in, it was very cold. The secret is not to stay in too long, one minute per degree Celsius of temperature.  When I started swimming back in June, I wasn’t sure if I’d carry on through the winter, but I’m still doing it, although I am more of a dipper than a swimmer – a quick plunge into the frigid water for a few minutes is enough for me.

There is something wonderful about beating the challenge of facing the cold water and getting warm again afterwards.  I went to Wales recently to swim with a friend.  Wales in mid-winter is rather like the west of Ireland, cold, windy and wet. We double dipped one day in the pouring rain, walking through the hills to a lake and then along the coastal path to a sheltered sea cove. Even in our coats we were soaked, the rain managed to find its way up our sleeves and down our hoods. I’ve never enjoyed a hot shower quite so much afterwards.

Getting wet like that reminded me of when I used to work on the Connemara trail, while remotely running a magazine. Wish I had that much energy now! This year I’m working on a book about that time. For years I’ve wanted to share all the funny, heartwarming and inspiring stories about things that happened, and this year I’m doing just that.

I’ve just released my first book this year, Careless Hearts. I spent much of last year working on editing and more editing.  This is the story of Eve, a happily married woman, who discovers her husband is married to somebody else and has a whole second family

This year I’m also working on the first book in a new crime series in introducing Evelyn Haddon, a lady I can’t wait for my readers to meet.