Happy Birthday Susan!!!

Gray, overcast, cool, temps 7

Dear Lord, my hands are so cold they're almost numb! We have the fire on in the living room. Happily there's a grate. Heading off for the shower, just to get warm. The coldest I've ever been, aside from frozen feet skiing was during the ice storm in 1998. No running water, no heat. Middle of winter. Finally got so cold we found a hotel room, convinced them to take us and the dog, then had a hot shower...and I was so freezing the warm water hurt. Feels almost like that now. Perhaps some shortbread will cure it. Yes, I believe it will.

We're back from our visit to our friends John and Moira in Eye - a village in Suffolk. There are villages with stranger names (though not many) in England, but few more charming. (having visited each and every one of them personally). Our friends have a Grade 1 listed home which means, I've finally figured out, that it's freezing cold all the time. We lived in our - you guessed it - long underwear. I'm hoping to start a new fashion trend. Will approach David Beckham.

Happy Birthday Susan!!!

Our great friend Susan aka Kato had a birthday on Thursday. I had it in my agenda, but got busy with Heffers and the visit to Eye - so forgot to wish her a happy birthday. But wrote her today - with sincere love and good wishes. She's coming to visit in a couple of weeks, so we can give her her pony then.

She reported on the hot weather in Quebec and there are flood warnings everywhere as the snow melts too rapidly. She said the news story of the week (Susan's a very prominent journalist in Canada) was from Quebec City where people have been fined for watering their snowbanks! Only in Canada do people water snowbanks. In hopes they'll shrink, not grow.

But, as Susan pointed out, it's not like the flood danger wasn't high enough.

Also heard from Gary today. He's finished the work at home and says he'll retire back to the basement until needed. He also said it's 26 degrees and sunny - roughly 80 degrees - in Sutton and expected to stay that way until we return, when a snow storm is forecast.

har har.

Massage place was all booked today, so no massage. Poor me. Why do these tragedies keep happening? It's just not fair. But - shortbread will cure that too.

Off to hose down the snowback that is me. Then make a pot of tea. And shortbreads.

Tomorrow back to book 5. Longing for it.