Ridiculous!

   This is what greeted me when I opened the door this morning! Quite a shock to the system so early in the winter. Usually we can get through November and most of December without this much of the white stuff.

It was -5C (-15C with the wind chill) and stayed there all day. The wind was bitter!

I spent the morning shovelling the driveway. The sun helped a lot.

Where's the pool?

    Today has set all sorts of records - temperature, amount of snow etc. - it is the snowiest November day in 70 years! We got about 10 cms. My back is killing me!

Remembrance Day

   "The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month"

"Lest We Forget"

   A very cold snowy day for people attending Remembrance Day services here and at the National Memorial in Ottawa. I went to my local community centre where we watched the ceremony on TV and stood for the two minutes of silence. The bugle playing the "Last Post" always makes me teary eyed. But it is better to share the experience with others. 

   Evening plans were curtailed today as I had had enough of driving on slippery roads and cleaning off the car (three times!). So I decided not to go to dance group this evening. As it turned out the teacher decided to cancel, as he had so many people phone and say they weren't coming. Very wise decision IMHO!

   The snow is supposed to stop around midnight so tomorrow will be the big clean up. Out with the snow shovel for the first time this winter!

A Difficult Read

   Woke up to a layer of snow on Thursday morning and was almost late for my early morning RTO meeting by having to sweep the snow off the car. We were hard at it from 9:30 until just after noon. Then it was straight to Book Club (with a quick stop at Burger King for a Bacon cheese 'burger - ooh it was greasy but sooo good!).

    Claire and I were hosts this month at book club, presenting "Educated" a memoir by Tara Westover. The discussion went very well, especially since the book dealt with some heavy issues. Tara and her siblings were very inadequately home -schooled and suffered several types of abuse, both mental and physical, but at least two managed to escape the domination of their parents and go on to lead normal, productive lives. Tara herself received several degrees from prestigious universities. However, I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone with a weak stomach!

    Our treats went down well also - not as elaborate as last month's but most appreciated. We didn't have a big turnout - just 16 of us - maybe because of the disturbing nature of some sections of the book, but most were glad to have read it.

Winter! Bring It On!

    My painful back and hip are much improved - I had a 40 minute walk in two 20 minute stints today and managed a fairly active fitness class. However, I am still very stiff if I am inactive for any length of time, limping for the first few steps when I get up out of bed or a chair. This wears off quickly but is a bit worrying.

   The weather has definitely taken the first steps toward winter this week. Snow flurries are forecast in the next few days and there will be an overnight low of -8C by the weekend. And the dreaded words, "wind chill", were mentioned today in the weather forecast. This is how cold it feels when the wind is added to basic temperature, as in "The temperature is -8C with the wind chill making it feel like -15C". Brrrr!