Cahoooos!

stunning, sunny day, temps freezing

Started this morning extremely and surprisingly cold! Had to scrape the ice off the car - both outside the car and inside! Sometimes, if there's any moisture trapped in the car (from breathing for instance), it can freeze to the windows.

So, while Michael scraped outside outside, I got in the car and shaved off the frost inside. And then it looked as though there'd been a blizzard inside the car.

But then the day warmed up and it is now glorious. A beautiful late winter day, snow melting, some muddy patches. And a smell of spring. A promise.

Cahooos.

My assistant lise, on leaving yesterday, said, 'The cahoos were terrible driving up here.' Cahoos is the old townshippers word I couldn't remember to describe not so much the potholes (the use other old words for that), but the heaving of the ground that form sort of ski jumps.

doesn't that sound like the experience. We ca-hoooo over them. Then clunck to the ground.

Our geo-thermal guy is late...called to say he'd hit such a huge pothole this morning it crippled his car. Had a blow out and it ripped off his front fender. Car is in the garage and now he's using his wife's.

Ran around doing errands today...a day away from writing, but not from thinking about it.

Banking, some airline tickets to arrange, post office, town hall to pay taxes... chatted with Teresa, my agent. got caught up on some emails.

Trudy coming home today...any moment. We miss her so much and keep thinking we hear her, when of course we don't. Ghosts of puppies past. But Pat's dropping her off any moment. If they don't get launched into outer space by one of the...cahoooos.

Even more fun to say.

Hope you're enjoying the day. continued prayers for Japan. Such amazing people - not waiting for someone to help them, but co-ordinating themselves...helping themselves clean up. Sharing resources. Humbling and inspiring to watch. But heartbreaking.

Huffed and Puffed...

overcast, rain, temps plus 3

What a time! Terrible earthquake in Japan...tsunami. Frightening to watch. Very odd to be having breakfast in front of the TV - something we never do except in extraordinary times...watching the news and the tsunami approaching across the Pacific. At first we were watching the Today show - but they only seemed to talk about Hawaii and the US mainland. So we switched to the BBC and heard all about Japan and the Philippines and Australia and the smaller, low lying islands. As well as the US.

Thank Heaven it wasn't worse.

Puts what we've been through in the past few days into perspective. But what tumultuous weather we've had. From being pounded by snow storms - that photo was taken by a neighbor in Knowlton - to gale force winds (at least, i call them gale force) to torrential rains.

The winds were so strong yesterday they blew the satellite dish from the guest cottage, as well as the eaves troughing and the soffits. Practically blew it down. Poor Bal and Linda and Bethany, not to mention Wayson Choy who came for some peace and quiet to finishing his next book.

I'm back in Sutton. Came down Wednesday...and had everyone over (by everyone I mean the guest cottage friends) for dinner that night. Salmon, chicken caccitore, shrimp, brown basmati rice and a baguette sliced and made into garlic bread. and for dessert a selection of cheeses, pears, grapes, and gluten free brownies.

All bought in Montreal at a caterer. Except the garlic bread and rice.

Wayson left today. Delightful man. Brilliant writer. He brought some origami birds and folded them before dinner, as we sat in front of the fireplace. And gave one each to Michael and me.

Bethany, who is 15, sang at dinner - she has a magnificent voice. and yes, we made her sing for her supper.

We just had a blast.

Writing every day, of course. Often, at this stage, I loathe the writing. Scares me to death. I'd rather be doing anything else. But with this book I actually long to be in it.

have hit a difficult patch. have been going over and over the same ten pages...needing to adjust. it just wasn't quite right. A lot of info needs to be imparted, and new characters met...and it needs to be done carefully. So that you don't get lost or confused. And so it also seems natural.

Would Gamache really ask that question next? What would Beauvoir be doing? Is that what one of the witnesses would say?

One problem that became obvious was that there were too many characters. But I needed them in that scene. What to do, what to do? I walked around with that problem, and every day I'd try to solve it - then write some new pages. And every evening I knew it wasn't quite right.

But last night I think I got the answer.

Combine two characters.

It wasn't really the answer I wanted, so I ignored it for a while. Then finally relented. And felt huge relief. But it meant going back over a lot of what I'd already written, and changing it. Just finished doing that. Fortunately it also simplifies the scenes, and that is always a good thing. makes what's important clearer. Makes each character clearer.

Phew!

Michael went over to the cottage this morning, where Gary was working to restore the eaves and the satellite man, Luc, had showed up. Poor Linda and Bethany - it was like an invasion. Surrounded by men crawling all over the house.

Now we're waiting for Phil - who is coming to talk to us about possibly converting the main house to geo-thermal. We had someone in about 10 days ago, to also talk with us...so this is the second quote and opinion.

Seems the way to go - though it's expensive to put in. pays for itself quickly - but still, a large hit to begin with. But fascinating to hear about.

Brother Charles, my contact at the abbey of St-Benoit-du-lac, continues to be very helpful, answering all sorts of mundane and sometimes riduculous questions.

In the meantime, over riding all this activity, we pray for the people of Japan. And all those effected by the earthquake and tsunami.

When we grow up...

overcast, some rain and some sun highs 14

Really quite warm when the sun is out. Continuing to find it blissful to be home. We're so lucky with the people in our lives...since we've been home we've had a parade of people coming by to help us fix things...the pool has a leak and digging needed to be done, the computers crashed and a bunch of other things so it sometimes feels like a train station, with cars and trucks lined up in the driveway!

But they're all friends, and all doing us favours, and it sure is fun to see them. We're so thankful - honestly, I sometimes feel like an insurance person (what's the name)who calculates how long people might live. I'm constantly hoping I go before anyone else, because without them my life would be a misery!

Went off to Richford, vermont, for gas and to mail a bunch of packages to people in the States. Young US border guard asked all sorts of questions. I could feel myself blushing...I'm a blusher. Always feel, and look, guilty. Of course, sometimes I am. Happily, not this time and after a brief search he let me through.

Now doing a hundred odds and ends, some to do with the books and some to do with our move...downsizing in Montreal to a smaller apartment. Better located too. Looking forward to it!

Have been fielding appearance requests and have had to decline almost all...just not enough time anymore. But I did say yes to Bear Pond Books in Vermont - for sometimes in october. Will be doing it at same times as a bookstore in Norwich, Vermont. And, I also wanted to tell you about an event coming up in Toronto. It's at the Toronto Referecne Library on June 2nd at 7pm.

A bunch of mystery writers will be having their works read by local celebrities. Also there will be Maureen Jennings, Vicki Delany, Linwood Barclay, Gail Bowen and Susanne Kearsley.

My best friend from high school will be reading an excerpt from THE MURDER STONE (A RULE AGAINST MURDER). Wendy Mesley. I can't tell you how thrilled I am she's doing it. I'm already so moved at the thought of her up there reading...and remembering all the hours and hours we sent together, dreaming of what we'd be doing when we grow up. And here she is, perhaps the most respected journalist in Canada. And as kind as she is clever.

Can hardly wait.

And it's open to the public, so if you'd like to come it would be such fun to see you! And all the authors books will be for sale and we'd all be happy to sign.

Off to respond to an email from the Japanese translator for The Cruelest Month. She's marvelous...always wants to make certain she understand the references.