December days

The rains have come earlier this year. I remember that last year I could still go outdoors without a coat at the beginning of December (though once the rains started in the middle of the month, they continued on and off till the beginning of April. We're hoping for a milder winter this year!)

Today we got a reprieve: after the non-stop downpour of the last days, the sun began to poke its head out from behind scattered grey clouds which looked as if they just might be dispersing temporarily. We made a rush on the washing machine, and did a couple of loads of the laundry that has been piling up for the last week. Hopefully things will dry on the line before the rain begins again.

The cats are finding their own ways to deal with the colder weather. Sometimes I discover all three of them curled up together on the same stool.... and Tobi's not above sneaking into my bedroom and finding a way to wriggle under the duvet - where she'd happily hide all day. Whenever I sit down to work on the computer, or Gabriela sits down to do her homework.... before long there's a purring feline snuggled on our lap.

Meanwhile, those of you who received my newsletter yesterday have been emailing to tell me that it's much colder where you are: snow in Canada, Norway and Scotland; frosty weather in Holland and France.... Only my friends in South Africa and Australia have got in touch to gloat about their warm sunny December days. Looks like the winter weather is here to stay for those of us in the northern hemisphere.