Not very young...

brilliant sunshine, glorious day, temps 23

We're back in Sutton. How wonderful this feels. The windows are wide open, doors to the screen porch wide open. Sat outside looking at the garden and pool and pond for half an hour. Just decompressing, and saying my quiet thanks, and letting all the great good fortune sink in. And eat fig newtons.

Had fun last night. Michael and I went to a lecture put on by the Council on Palliative Care at McGill - organized by our friend Kappy Flanders. The speaker was Dr. Kathleen Foley, who specializes in the care of the dying. The issue was fascinating - something that's being hotly debated in Quebec right now, and that's physician assisted suicide. Very emotional, of course.

Then, after the lecture Kappy held a private buffet dinner at a local club. Very fun - but the most wonderful, and humorous part was when a young a capella group from the McGill music faculty. The student introduced them by saying how much they enjoying singing for people 'Not very young.' There was a long pause and then the place cracked up. She was right, we weren't very young. But we were mighty happy. As were they - the group. Fabulous.

Oddly, one of the songs I've been listening to a lot as I write this book is Alicia Keys, 'Falling'. The a capella group sang three songs and one was 'Falling'. They did a great job too.

Then home. Past crowds of disappointed Montreal Canadiens fans...we lost 2 to 0 against Pittsburgh. The city is Habs mad. People driving around with flags attached to their cars. Even Kappy - who at the lecture was wearing a lovely dress, changed into a Mtl Canadian captains jersey! At our apartment building on the notice board there is only one notice - a large sign that says, Go Habs Go.

Up early today...Michael had an 8am dentist appointment. I packed up, loaded the car then drove to the dentist to pick him up. off to Nicks for breakfast - then to the UPS office to mail a box to the US publisher. Then home (stopping for Trudy's food on the way).

Got home by 11:30. Annick, from the Quebec magazine Vita, was coming at noon for lunch and to do an interview. Michael hopped off to the store, while I unpacked. The tulips are up in the cutting garden and divine, so I cut a few vases full. How gorgeous they are. All different varieties and colours.

Michael cooked burgers on the barbeque and we ate burgers, salad and sugar pie on the porch. Such a beautiful day. And thrilling to do my first interview for a french magazine, in anticipation of the books coming out in french this summer.

After Annick left I had a 4pm interview with Chateleine. They're putting together an article on great summer reads. They wanted to know which mystery I'd recommend. I don't want to ruin the surprise so I'll only say this - my recommendation is Josephine Tey's The Franchise Affair.

Have to set the alarm early tomorrow - up by 6am and writing by 8. Then off to Knowlton to Nancy's place. doing a book club in texas by skype at 1pm and Nancy's going to help set us up. Then lunch with Cotton at 1:30.

And Friday??? Ahhh - empty. Nothing. Just us, quiet. Writing. And fig newtons.