January 2026 – it sucks

Well, it’s official: I do not like January, and I’m not alone.

January 2026 sucks especially

If months were people, August would be my favorite. A generous, sweet, warm, middle-aged woman who can cook like a pro and is very fertile. Sister Juli is similar, but more modest, and other sister June even more so. In comparison, January is a rude jerk, a much-too-big, uncouth man with no manners.

He’s suddenly there, hangs around for far too long, and ruins everything. Self-confidence, good intentions, plans. He has a short fuse, unpredictable tantrums (and, damn it, doesn’t even drink), so you’re walking on eggshells all month. February is his buddy, a mean little rascal with small eyes and a drop of rain on his nose.

Then March

An unapproachable matron, unapproachable and cold, with only the occasional meager display of warmth. Unpredictable too, the kind we once called manic-depressive, and now called “bipolar.” Different name, same effect.

Very different from September, who is also capricious but not as unapproachable or intense. Or October, also a matron, but a regal one with a golden aura. And also very generous, just like August. November is a gray mouse, and December a party animal. Pleasant enough, a bit superficial, but fun to have around with all those lights and good food.

April and May are cheerful, hopping twins who put a smile on your face. They have their quirks—April more so than May—but it’s always harmless mischief. You can’t stay bothered by it for long.

We’re now dealing with the consequences of January’s tantrum

And then some more sneaky antics from February. Thanks, weather gods! Five roofs with holes, and half the roof of the “White House” is gone. The ceiling of one of the rooms is gone because January, with his jovial temperament, had smashed open the door to the corner room, giving all that wind free rein.

The plaster ceiling is already in the dumpster. The damage inventory has been made, while we hurriedly tried to get all the roof tiles back in place. Thank goodness we still had a whole pile lying around, which, although old, were still perfect for improvisation, because there are no roof tiles for sale in this entire region anymore.

January apparently regretted it the next day: it stayed dry. That was a blessing, although it started all over again the next day. Thankfully, we now have power again after three full days, so we can receive the warning that February will still be a bit rough.

I’m writing this blog post with pencil on paper – and only on the computer after four days. Too late for this week, but I assume you’ll forgive us.

I’m glad he’s pulled through. Now all we need to do is put up with that snarky friend of his, and then hopefully we can breathe a sigh of relief once March arrives.

Fingers crossed, guys.

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(Disclaimer: I’m a bit tired of the keyword stuff and Google’s dictatorship. So here they are, and I’m also hoping for the cleverness of AI in this matter that it will still be found and read, but that I don’t have to force myself to use the right terms in the title and headings.#January #heavyweather #stormKristin )

We moved here in 2000 from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to the Termas-da-Azenha, Portugal. We started to rebuild one of portugals cultural heirlooms: Termas-da-Azenha, an old spa.You’ll find mosaics and paintings everywhere.Since Covid we rent the houses for a longer period of time, not as holiday houses anymore.

Each week a little blog about what is happening around us. An easy read. A few minutes in another world. A little about what it going on in Portugal. If you plan your holiday to Portugal, it might be a nice preparation.

In the weekend we publish it on Bluesky, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.