Snow!

Sophie woke me at 6am this morning and said it was snowing! I hadn't expected it in our part of the country, thinking it would only be farther north and Scotland, so it was a shock to look out and see the whirling flakes. Sophie's car looked like a little igloo, and I urged her to be careful on the way to the gym. When Keith and I set out an hour later, it had lessened a little but the roads up to the A43 were slushy. It was strange to see some of the trees in full leaf still, and snow!

I had another frustrating day at work with the emails. The slowness was affecting everyone and it took me twice as long to do anything, which was an utter pain. Sara wasn't in again and I doubt she'll be back tomorrow as she feels very poorly.

I did as much as I could but I still left far too many emails unanswered. I had been hoping to finish the moan report today, but that was out of the question!

Keith picked me up at 4pm and we drove home through the gloom. It's dark now at about 4.15pm and I feel sorry for schoolchildren walking home in the murky conditions. I lit the candles at home to make the house feel a little cosier, and Keith had made sure the heating was on before he left to pick me up.

Dinner tonight was Keith's north-east speciality - a stew of corned beef, bacon and potatoes served with crusty bread. Both cats had come home earlier in the evening and we're hoping this will be the pattern from now on as it's so cold outside!