Keeping Warm

   I got my heating bill the other day and for the last month it was $220. Yikes!! And that was before the current extreme cold spell. Heaven knows what the next one will be. This is just for keeping the house ticking over at a very low temperature, heating the water tank and, in the evenings, the gas fire in the family room. I think I will have to wear a few more heavy sweaters for the rest of the winter or I will be bankrupt before Spring (Just kidding).

   The cold spell has finally broken - it was just minus 1C when I came home from tonight's meeting. It was the first planning session for the tennis club and rather long and tedious but it got me in the mood for getting out on the courts. That's still a long way off. It will be the end of April before the winter bubble comes down and the nets go up.

Another Frosty Day

   The bitter cold continues - this is what greeted me this morning.

Yes, that's minus 21C or minus 4F! 

I never did get my driveway totally cleared - only lasted 15 minutes before my fingers were frozen. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer and we will get above zero by the middle of the week. Nevertheless, I ventured out with some other hardy folks to do another Burns demo and we have our Burns supper at my social dance class this evening. I wonder how many will turn up to hear the "Address to the Haggis"? The turnip is cooking as I type.

Sunday with the Family

  Oh, so cold today and a ton of snow to shovel! I had decided I wouldn't use the snowblower so didn't plug in the battery, but regretted it later. The driveway is half done and I cleared a path on the sidewalk for any intrepid walkers to get by. 

   The drive up to Markham for James' birthday was a bit harrowing as the roads were still slippery. But it was worth it to be with family. We had a lovely brunch and I brought a haggis to celebrate Rabbie Burns birthday as well as James.  Natalie interviewed me for a school project on immigration. Her dad is also an immigrant but came here at quite a young age.

   When I got home I worked on the driveway again for a bit but the wind was too strong so I only lasted 15 minutes. I will do the rest tomorrow, hopefully.

Another Burn's Lunch

   The storm held off until the drive home but made for a rather slippery ride. I think it has stopped now but I will wait until tomorrow to shovel the driveway.  

   You can probably tell that in my neck of the woods we take Rabbie Burn's birthday seriously. Today a local church put on a lovely lunch to which we were invited to "dance for our dinner" (and it was a tasty one!). It came complete with the Piping in of the haggis, the Selkirk Grace, Toast to the lassies, followed by the toast to the laddies and, after the dancing, a Scottish sing-a-long. I will leave you with the Selkirk Grace.

"Some hae meat but canna eat

Some wad eat that want it

But we hae meat and we can eat

Sae may the Lord be thankit."