I wanted each month to show an activity that can cheer people up. The activities had to be things you can do without having a lot of money, and without needing to have a companion.
January: Watching jackdaws. This is more interesting if you feed them - they are very greedy and overcome any shyness if there are raw peanuts to be had. I chose jackdaws because they're practically omnipresent, they are social and lead interesting lives, and close-up they are actually very beautiful, with their ice-blue eyes, and sheens of silver, blue and purple.
February: Rupert Brooke's 'The Great Lover' is one of my favourite poems, because it is about enjoying the beauty of everyday things.
March: Flying a homemade kite. I have to admit, I haven't yet tried this, but it looks a lot simpler than I was expecting. Instructions on making a kite.
April: Cosying up with a really good film and popcorn. I was going to link to a list of feelgood films here, but I can't find any I agree with. So (in my own small opinion): Stardust; A Knight's Tale; Blithe Spirit; The Princess Bride, and The Emperor's New Groove.
May: Butterfly-spotting (and, to make it easier, bug-spotting in general). I have Collins' Complete Guide to Irish Wildlife, which is a pretty good all-rounder (though if you're very interested in butterflies you'd probably need a dedicated book) and Irish libraries stock this.
June: Cloud-watching and making daisy-chains.
July: Rummaging through flea-markets. If you're in Dublin, The Ferocious Mingle Marcade on Thomas Street is really unusual and special.
August: I haven't finished this one yet. It might be picnicking.
September: Pressing autumn leaves, and admiring the seed-heads of wild poppy.
October: Making Hallowe'en masks and turnip-lanterns.
November: Reading spooky ghost stories. Like E. Nesbit's 'Man-size in Marble', or anything at all by M.R. James. I've found this online repository of all James' work, although personally I need paper and print to enjoy reading. You can usually pick up collections of his stories for a reasonable amount, or, again, use the library.
December: I haven't done this one yet. I was considering star-gazing, because it's a good way to take advantage of the longer nights. But it might be watching the sun rise, as you don't need to get up very early.
