Dorothy L

light flurries, cool, temps minus 3

Lovely day...winter, without the cruel bite. We've been watching, along with most of NA, the terrible storms on the east coast. poor Baltimore, Washington, Philadephia...New York City. Wow. Of course, the real problem is a loss of power. that's when it gets frightening and dangerous.

We have a large generator here because when we lose power we lose water too. but I know, of course, in cities people don't have generators.

If you're affected by the storms, and I know many of you are - you really are in our thoughts.

We've been having fun watching the Today Show etc in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. We Canadians don't often wave the flag, but I have to admit to feeling my heart swell when I see Vancouver, Canada on all the TV's and in newspapers. Very proud of how beautiful it looks...and how efficient everything seems to be. Of course, the games haven't even started - so I suppose it's a little early to crow! Still, I'm very happy - and proud - and excited. I love the Winter Olympics. I suppose as a Canadian they just strike a cord. We were raised skiing and skating and doing a lot of the sports...until that great well of laziness was tapped. ow we watch others.

Can hardly wait for the games to begin. In truth, I root for Canadian athletes, but I also often also root for athletes from other countries. Some just have such inspiring, amazing stories. Imagine the work for these young people to get there? And they are all so young. Amazing. Humbling.

Had fabulous news from the website Dorothy L. It's a very prestigious site dedicated to crime fiction, with a bent to traditional mysteries _ ala Dorothy L. Sayers. Every January they poll their members for the top books and favorite writers....

Can you see where this is going....

Well, The Brutal Telling was the top book! And Louise Penny was the favorite writer!!! It actually feels very strange writing this because it feels way too much like bragging. And yet I've told you about other unexpected and wonderful events and honors...not sure why this feels different. and I suppose, really, it is bragging. But I'm just so happy about it. And frankly surprised. But mostly astonished and really, really joyful.

Do you know what I find amazing??? That I live outside a tiny village, in a french speaking province, in a lovely but quiet country - and readers have found my books. And enjoy them. And far from Canada and Quebec being a handicap readers seem to find it a good part of the series...a real benefit.

How open readers are. And how I have benefited by that. Honestly, what are the chances a middle aged woman writing in front of a fireplace in an old farmhouse would be discovered?

When I think of it my heart soars - and I'm aware again that it happened because of you, being open to what appeared to be a small Canadian village mystery series...but is in fact (I hope) set not in a place, but inside all of us. that's the real landscape. They're not about death but really about goodness and kindness, about friendship. About the light, not the darkness.

Enough of this - I just wanted to tell you the great news - and to thank you. I suspect many of you reading this now are also members of Dorothy L. You have a very, very happy author here...and I thank you.

Oh, another bit of news - Michael and I decided to go for our Nexus cards, which would speed our passage through Canadian and US customs. Since we travel so much, especially my air, it is huge to be able to avoid what is often a very long line. In some cases it takes an hour or more of shuffling forward. So we applied and guess what???

Michael got accepted, but I was rejected? Do they know who I am? Apparently they know perfectly well. I'm the idiot who got caught not once, but twice trying to sneak something into Canada. A Lands End bathing suit - then a month later, a restoration Hardware swing arm lamp.

Honestly - what was i thinking? It was humiliating. And apparently the border security people have long memories.

We went for Michael's interview two days ago at the Montreal airport and I explained my situation. The extremely kind (and beautiful - and powerful) customs officials looked up my dossier and discovered the infractions. I asked if maybe, since it was clearly a minor issue, it could just be, well, maybe, erased? (cue huge smile).

No. (cue their huge smiles). These cards are, they explained, for TRUSTED travelers.

They had me there. The irony is that I am actually, now, probably the most trusted traveler you could find. Nothing would entice me to lie at a border now. But the horse has already bolted. I am deemed untrustworthy.

Michael found this both amusing and annoying since we travel together all the time and his being able to sweep through customs means he just has to wait on the other side for his recidivist wife. Well, his fault for marrying me. He should have seen this larcenous streak in me.

But i have to say, the customs people really were very sympathetic and kind - and very helpful when Michael's eyes didn't want to have the retinal scan. Very patient they were. Finally, holding his lids open so wide I was sure the balls would roll out, they got the scan.

Hope you're doing well - and if you've been in the path of the storms, that you haven't been too, too badly affected.