It really hasn't snowed all that much...yet

 I'm supposed to pick up our lecturer tomorrow morning, but the weather forecast isn't great (this is British understatement) and I'm not confident that I'll be able to get my car onto the road.  Luckily, someone has offered to go to the railway station in my place, so now we hope that there's not enough snow to block the road or the railway tracks.  

Wink was able to get a doctor's appointment this morning - the car got stuck on its way up the slight slope at the end of the drive, I had to reverse and have another go - and she has been referred for diagnostic tests, which is very helpful.  I'm so glad to have a family member who listens to advice, which is more than Russell or Tim ever did.  

Since we were out already, we went to the local supermarket and I stocked up, mostly on vegetables - I will go to the greengrocer next time, I feel quite guilty that they didn't get my custom today.  I also bought a gammon joint and cooked it for lunch today, inviting Wink too.  I usually eat my main meal in the evening, but felt we needed a good meal and the opportunity to relax afterwards.  I scuttled round fetching coal and logs, feeding animals and sorting things out and, once we'd had lunch, had nothing to do but feed the outside cats again, which happened early.  I've upped their rations - I give them a decent helping of GoCat and, usually, 2-3 pouches of cat food in the morning, 3 in the afternoon (for breakfast, they also finish any E-Cat leftovers from the day before).  But now, they're having 4-5 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon and they are glad of it.  They can live on that, if they have to and hunting brings a bonus.  I doubt there's much to find and I'm sorry for the field mice anyway.  No rabbits, the foxes have killed them all.  

I must write to Susie to tell her that, if I can't get my car down the road, I won't be able to get to her dad's funeral.  I will do my best, however, of course.

Z doesn't build a snowman

 And then yet another friend died.  At least the others were all last year, but Valentine died on the 2nd of January.  She was nearly 94 and very unwell, it wasn't altogether unexpected - but it's really cast a dampener on our feelings, with all these bereavements and she was the much-loved matriarch of a big family.  Although she lived here, her funeral was today in Surrey - her mother church is there - and I couldn't go, as I was helping Pam.

Pam has become more frail in the last few weeks and I have told her that I don't think she is strong enough to go to Peter's funeral.  I've also told Wink that I don't think she should go either.  She has a chest infection and is exhausted.  It's too cold for either of them to go from the car park to the church.  They've both listened and taken on board what I've said, though the decision is theirs, of course.  

It hasn't snowed a lot, but each snow shower lies on the last, as it's not thawing, even when it's sunny.  I've doubled the barn cats' rations and am taking out bottles of warm water for them and the chickens.  I've also, sadly, realised that I've finally left my youth behind.  We haven't had any snow for the past few years and so it took me a couple of days to notice that, for the first time ever, I haven't wanted to make a snowman.  This makes me somewhat sad, but doesn't change anything - I'm not in the least inclined to build one.  Going out every day to fill a barrow with logs and get scuttles of coal is quite enough for me.  I hope the weather is good enough for Wince to come on Thursday, when he'll stock us up with enough for a week. 

Instead of frolicking, I've been cooking.  It's probably because the kitchen is guaranteed to be warm, but it reminds me of the winter after Russell died, when I felt the need to cook obsessively, even though I wasn't eating much.  My freezer is very well stocked, with single portions of soups and stews.  It's just as well, because I keep buying a lot of vegetables and something has to be done with them.  

I have just read that a requirement for eye tests for over-70s is to be brought in, to renew a driving licence.  It seems remarkable that this has never been made before, or that it's entirely up to the driver to self-report if they've been advised not to drive.  I have huge sympathy for those who rely on their cars, but I know too many older people who really are not safe to drive, whether because of sight or another reason.