Snowy bonhomie and keeping cozy

I spent the next two days trying to sort out small gifts for friends and neighbours, and wrapping them. The weather being colder we cooked warm soups for lunch, and baked things in the evenings.


On the way to the post office I saw Maheena and Glen, and we were joking with each other. It had snowed again overnight, and I walked very carefully to the post office as there was black ice on the roads. I met another neighbour, and we chatted and joked. Complete strangers were telling each other to be careful and not to slip, and there was a lot of bonhomie about. While washing up, from the kitchen window I saw one neighbour in his 90s walking up the road to take his younger friend the newspaper.


On Saturday it was still snowing on and off. I noticed that we had paw prints of various sizes all over our garden, and bird prints. These were also over most neighbouring shed roofs, but our vandal neighbour's garden was pristine, no living thing had entered his space at all; it is as if the area has an invisible barrier around it.


In the evening we watched 'Merlin,' Colin Morgan plays Merlin, and he did a great job of acting when he found out that he was a dragon lord. We also saw another excellent Wallander, but the snowy wintry scenery seemed a bit too real and familiar.


On Sunday morning Poppy called round to say she was going to the shops and would we like her to get us some shopping too, we did not need anything, but thought it so kind of her to ask us. Lilu the dog has got a chest infection, and Poppy thought she may have got too cold with snow on her fur, and she ate lots of it too.


I have been listening to lots of music on Bing.com, especially crisantemi (Chrysanthemum) by Puccini, and all the spaghetti western music by Ennio Morreconi. The weather is very cold so we are keeping ourselves cosy during the evenings.

Stubborn car and cuddly cat

We did our usual chores, and I did some gardening and filing which I hate to do. Later Mas had to go to the post office and suggested we go out for a coffee as a change of scene. After trying to start the car unsuccessfully a few times Ben appeared and looked at the car as well. He dropped us off at the post office and we did have a coffee out.

In the evening Mas made some nice vegetable soup, which we had with a glass of wine. Salty decided to honour us with his presence and for a change wanted to sit on my lap, so Mas took these photos to mark this unusual event.

not living in 'interesting times'

On Saturday and Sunday I pottered about generally feeling well, got out our juicer and decided to do apple and carrot juice, and made some soup, and we did a bit of gardening and catching up with friends and family. The weather was very hot and humid, but we sat in the garden in the evenings which was pleasant.
On Monday I went down to Edgware and topped up my mobile phone, and got a bit of shopping, and later wrote some letters. Mas still has a bad back, but I was unable to make an appointment with the doctor as the phones were constantly engaged....not a very good service! Despite his back hurting so much Mas spent time clearing up our garden shed which had become so untidy it was hard to find anything.
All rather unexciting things, but it was a relief to be feeling so much better again, and cheered Mas up quite a bit.

Art at the Radlett Centr and soup in the Art Cafe

Yesterday Diane phoned and we exchanged news and talked for a while, and I heard from Betty too which was nice.

Mas and I decided we needed a break from our usual routine, so we drove to Radlett, a village close to us which is built on either side of the old Roman road that runs from London to St.Albans (Watling Street). It began to rain so we went into the Radlett Cente to look at the art.

They have a theatre, two art galleries and a cafe, with the library next door.
Zoë Bennett was exhibiting her Funky Florals in the Apthorpe Gallery, and Martyn Cohen's photographic art was displayed in the Ground floor gallery. His was unusual work as he had taken woodland photographs, and made pictures of a single shot and a reversed one attached, and again one shown upside down and another reversed upside down one, making one large picture. From a distance the pictures made a curious designs.


Mas and I had a light lunch of soup in the Art Cafe,and afterwards we did a little shopping, and bought a few bargains in a sale where everything cost £1.50 before coming home again.














The Radlett Centre