After five years spent wallowing in the warmth of Florida, we have had to dig out the few winter clothes that we possess and get used to feeling a bit chilly at times. Luckily our house has thick stone walls and the ceiling in the living room is wooden, so once we have the shutters closed and the curtains drawn in the evening, we are as snug as bugs. However, in an effort to keep costs down, we don't bother to heat the bedrooms and bathroom which are in the other part of the house, so trips of an ablutionary nature are made very swiftly!
This is nothing new to us as we had the same system going when we lived on Bulklip Farm in South Africa. Apart from the wonderfully effective Jet Master fireplace in the lounge, the rest was a case of speed and much gritting of the teeth. However, we can boast to our French friends that we keep our heating bills down to a minimal amount when compared with their efforts to heat large extensive homes.
It was just as well that we visited my brother in Toronto for Christmas a couple of years back, and we raided all the re-cycling clothing shops in Miami and stocked up with jerseys and track suits etc. However, visits to Montpellier call for something a bit smarter, and I am everlastingly grateful to my good friends Sybil and Mary from Miami who each gave me a very smart scarf, and these go a long way towards giving my rather mundane outfits much needed "pazazz". I have long ago given up trying to keep up with the French ladies who wear their smart black outfits in the city and all manage to look like extras from an art movie of the 1960's.
Gardening is at a standstill for the time being, but we do go outside on a regular basis and inspect the grape hyacinths which are making every effort to produce little flowers. There seem to be hundreds popping their heads up through the soil and once they are all in bloom, not only will the garden be beautiful, but the scent will be delightful. The old folks are concerned that we do not yet have almond blossom out, but we have seen a few mimosa trees bravely coming into bloom so spring has to be on its way.
We have spent a very worrying week listening to reports on the fires in Australia. My daughter and her family live in Whittlesea and have had a very narrow escape, and our thoughts and prayers go out to those people who have lost family members, and everything else that they possess.
