Nesting

As those of you who have read this blog with any regularity over the past few years will know, life a la Planethalder is usually alive with activity - whether gawping at art in galleries, strolling along the South Bank or through city parks, being gripped by films from Thailand to Turkey, or stuffing ourselves silly in cheap or more exclusive restaurants.
But during these past few months, the weather has been blustery, the nights dark, our bodies have been blocked with cold, and our work has been hectic. Quite simply, we've been content to snuggle up in the warmth of our house for most of the time, enjoying one another's company in a quieter, mellower way.

And it's been blissful, as the months and weeks count down towards our wedding, to savour our togetherness and, dare I say it, nest. I've never nested with someone before and I'm enjoying every second of it.

We rarely watch TV and have rarely had a fixed, after work routine, but in recent weeks we've been enjoying sitting down to Ugly Betty and the fourth season of The OC, re-watching Curb Your Enthusiasm on DVD, planning our wedding, loading up music on my new glossy black 30gb video iPod, reading and... cooking.

We always enjoy cooking, but as the winter chill has set in we're cooking and eating in alot more. Simple, satisfying, healthy dishes from the variety of cookbooks we had in our collection or got given to us for birthdays and Christmas - chicken in clear broth with red chillis, young stem broccoli and kimchi; spaghetti with artichoke hearts and fresh parsley; stir-fried tofu and beef strips with red chillis and stir-fried Korean greens; or heartier, meatier stews.

I know as the weather improves we'll start meeting up more regularly again after work and go out. But for now, nesting at home is what I crave.