Early Snow and winter has arrived.

The winter has arrived with a real vengence. No gradual slip from a mellow autumn into a mild and wet winter...no we have snow and some parts of the country have ground to a halt well ahead of the expected January snow.

Its cold and grey and everywhere here has a light dusting of snow with more promised overnight. Urgh we have months ahead of this. Its dark apart from a small gap in the middle of the day. I keep saying we are almost at the shortest day but in reality we have almost three weeks till we reach that point and then its gradually the lengthening of the days.

With this sudden cold snap I do wonder how the birds are coping with this sudden dramatic change? I also wonder how they will cope with this extended winter. Perhaps we have the horrid stuff now and the rest of the winter will be mild? Fingers crossed and I don't actually hold that much hope...this is probably it till the end of March!!

On the plus side the house is lovely and cosy and warm. The mellow lights make it feel so cosy and of course I still love being here.

I am ahead with christmas preparations as well. All presents are bought apart from Angela's which I will have to think about. Boys all planned and purchased. Chris birthday all planned as well and meal booked. Just need to be around when postman delivers and then wrap.

As I am typing there is an extended weather report telling us that if you have not yet had snow then expect it tonight and tomorrow!!!

Flu and Prince William is engaged

It turned out it wasn't a cold after all but full blown flu. I have not had flu for years and this really did knock me out. Here I am just over a week later and still recovering. I have not been back to work and even went to the doctors much to their surprise as well as my own as they kept saying you are never ill, your records show you are never ill etc etc. Once the fever died down I just felt so exhuasted and even climbing the stairs to my bedroom left my heart racing and me panting with total exhaustion. I have seen the future as an old woman and I don't like it. I am guilty suspecting that the way this left me so low was largely down to my own general unfitness and once again I hear myself promising to get fit, take more exercise which is easy to promise while I am still not well enough to put this promise to the test and start a new fitness regime.

Other news is that Prince William is engaged to be married to Kate Middleton. He has given her his mothers old engagement ring which is a bit spookey. The poor girl is going to be haunted by Diana anyway without having to wear that doomed piece of jewellry.

I remember watching the young Diana on her engagement interview so full of hope and love and so shy and smiley. Look what the horrible Prince Charles and his bloody family did to her? When Kate spoke about the royal family being welcoming I just shouted at the telly 'run girl they are all gouls and will pull at your neck and drag you down until you lose that youthful shine.'

The press have gone mad and its all over the news tonight plus sudden documentaries with vague people who may have just bumped into the couple eight years ago suddenly saying they have been through tough times as students when all they had was takeaways.. Give me strength!! His family is one of the richest in the world if not this country and when ever did he have to ferret down the back of the sofa for some lose change to buy bread? Tough times...makes my republican tendencies come out.

A little cold.

God I feel ill. Can't breath, eyes like gob stoppers, continous runny nose and a headache...yes a little cold but its knocking me out. I must have looked and sounded bad today because everyone at the UCP everyone said I should be at home in bed including the lovely Jan. I thought I would love someone like Jan to look after me. You would feel so safe and reassured with her checking on you, taking your pulse etc.

I'd like to take tomorrow sick but have to go in to do focus group which I know sounds silly but if I dont do it this week I dont know when it will be done!

Perhaps this is the worse day and tomorrow will be better.