SNOW, hail, cold, and damp underfoot. These all tend to give me the feeling that only a warm bed is the answer.

But this is also the time of year when holidays in a hot, sun-kissed place start to creep into my mind.

I start to ask myself where to go? What will it cost? How long will the flight take? What will I need? Can I be bothered?

At one time, which now seems a long time ago, going abroad was very exciting.

Going to strange places, seeing strange faces, hearing a strange language – but I have got to thinking is it really worth the effort?

Television has made so many places familiar. We can see the beaches, cities, and also the people here in our comfortable, warm living rooms so, sadly, my curiosity – I don’t know about yours – is somewhat sated.

And those tedious waits at the airports, plus the long flights, sat in a rather narrow seat, next to an overweight man, with a wayward child punching the back of your seat, don’t seem quite as tempting as they once did.

Then, of course, there is the shopping aspect, which was once a big part of the excitement.

There used to be a whole array of wonderful, exotic stuff you could buy and bring back home to swank with, and then put up in the spare room, never to be seen again.

Well, it’s all available here, and all the time, so that excitement is no more either.

So that leaves us with just two temptations – the warm sun and the chance to see old friends – and both temptations are very strong. So... I am going to be weak and give into them and within the next few weeks I will be off!

I would go now, but unfortunately for me the weather in New York is very similar to here.

But then again, should I think blow the weather, let’s get off to the travel agent, book the tickets and just go?

As I sit here writing this, there’s a cactus plant in front of me on the table which I have had since I was first married and – I just can’t believe it – this is the very first time that it has blossomed.

It usually sits there just green and sad, daring me to throw it out but now, wow!

Perhaps, it is giving me a message, a lesson or something, and saying you must never ever give up, as one day your turn will come.