New Best Friend

overcast, mild, windy

Freezing rain in the forecast, but for now it's quite nice. Just came back from breakfast with Joan, then took Trudy around the pond...a trudge through the now. head down into the blowing wind and drifting snow. it occured to me I definitely see more of my boots than anything else in winter. Beautiful vistas are lost on me...all I see are the tips of my boots as they sink into the snow. Boots should be more interesting. Perhaps build a video monitor into them, or a book. When I do look up all I see, through the swirling snow, is Trudy's backside.

Ahh, a Canadian winter.

And, I have a new best friend. Her name is Long Underwear. It's quite an intimate relationship, and God help Michael is he tries to steal her away. He has his own best friend.

However, I am leaving Miss Long Underwear behind in a few weeks when we take off for our first winter vacation ever!!! To St. Lucia. Yippee.

Have a fairly quiet day. got the notes a few days ago on suggested adjustments to the novella for literacy I wrote. It features Chief Inspector Gamache et al in a murder in Three Pines. It's called The Hangman. Hope to get the notes finished by the end of the weekend. Also want to write the January newsletter. How times slips away! It's almost January.

Off to a birthday party tonight. Indeed, am hoping to have all the editing etc done by the beginning of January...and then, for the most part, take two months off! I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am, though I imagine you know.

Things always appear - an event here or there, an interview, some more unexpected editing. (Just got, on Christmas Eve, the line edits for the paperback edition of THE BRUTAL TELLING - they need to be read by the end of the week, and any corrections sent to England). But what I hope not to do is do any writing in two months. Spend the time relaxing, playing...and thinking about the next book, which I will begin writing the first of March. It needs thought, and some planning. Mostly what I need to do is give it some time to just start hearing conversations, seeing scenes, fleshing out characters until they can walk and talk on their own. Quiet time. Preferably on a beach.

Be well - will talk to you tomorrow. If I figure out how to attach a book to the toes of my boots, or, to Trudy's behind, I'll let you know.

Does the hot water bottle make me look fat?

light flurries and sun struggling through, windy, cold, temps minus 20

Last night Michael looked at a thermometre we'd forgotten we have - the previous owners put it in - in the living room and now hidden behind curtains. It has a probe for outside. It's old - in fahrenheit - and it said minus 40. It might have been broken. Will try to check in summer and see if it still says minus 40.

We're going like mad on the elliptical machine...which for us means doing it for 5 minutes at a time, then gasping for breath. I had no idea four sedentary years writing could be this bad for the muscles. However, you should see my fingers...they're like action stars. Buff, pumped. Now, doesn't that sound attractive. More than once I've been extremely grateful I'm already married.

Spending the day packing. I've given a lot of thought to the Arizona book events, but not to my wardrobe. I find it very difficult to believe I won't be needing the long underwear and hot water bottle. But, what makes it even more of a challenge, I arrive back in Montreal Thursday morning then have a newspaper interview - then head out to Quebec City for a month, the next day - Friday. So I really need to pack for Phoenix (one of the hottest places) and Quebec City (one of the coldest). Out come the long underwear and hot water bottles again.

Hope I don't confuse the suitcases. If so, when you come to the Phoenix event I'll be the one drenched in perspiration, sporting a cashmere turtleneck, long underwear and snowboots.

Honestly - I wonder if publishers know what numbskulls they're sending on 'parade'?

Still, it's a lovely life. Will try to blog tomorrow. Having breakfast with Joan then Michael and I are heading off to Montreal.