Joannie Rochette

snow, blowing snow, temps around freezing

What a day! Two feet of snow at least...thank God for Tony who came and dug us out this afternoon and even brought a bag of groceries (hot cross buns, chocolate syrup - the essentials...just like the pioneers). We were going to stay in Montreal overnight and drive down to the country today. I had a Skype book club chat with this marvelous bookstore called Mysteries&More in Nashville. It started at 8pm. We had a great time...lots of fun and interesting questions. They'd read Still Life.

But - Michael and I had heard the forecast. There was always going to be bad weather for the balance of the week, but a sudden storm had appeared off the east coast and would hit Quebec by midnight and dump up to 20 cm's of snow. And the rest of the week was looking bad too.

So we decided to scoot into the car and head home in the window between 9pm and midnight. The first half of the drive was quite...between the forecast for a blizzard and the Canada/Germany hockey game, we were mostly alone on the road. Then the snow started...and got heavier and heavier. We were going to stop for dinner off the highway but decided to push through. made it home - always a relief! - in time to watch Joannie Rochette skate in the women's short programme. both Michael and I were in tears, as were most of the people watching. Poor one. What depths she must have. Sometimes when watching sports it suddenly becomes about something else...and no score could ever reflect that. That was such a moment.

These young athletes are amazing. She's amazing.

Then Michael and I crawled to bed and woke up to snow plastered against the windows...we could barely see out. It was waist deep and we got on our snowshoes to walk through it but could only get two paces away...I couldn't lift my leg high enough to get to the top of the snow.

I was supposed to go for a meeting at the Sutton school, to discuss their Reading Programme. As you know, they've asked me to take part, which I'm thrilled to do - but I'm not a natural with children. After I mentioned on the blog that my strategy was to treat them like puppies a number of you wrote to say kids actually have thoughts, and feelings and imaginations and perhaps it would be better to appeal to those rather than offer them cookies if they sit up nice and beg.

So I will try. But we had to cancel the meeting since the school was closed. Rescheduled for Friday.

We were forced - forced I say - to have a cafe au lait in front of the fireplace instead. I wrote the March newsletter and marveled at Marjorie from Connecticut, who seems a "friends" demon. She'd have made a marvelous herder in another life.

Unfortunately the snow has also plastered itself against our satellite dish, so no Olympics. More time in front of the fire. Reading, nibbling, sipping. Preparing to write the next book, starting monday.

Oh, Michael just reported that the satellite is clear and Sutton's own Clara Hughes is about to skate in the Olympics. Must fly. Speak tomorrow. Be well.