Monday 5th March - Normal for the time of year?

Snow - gone
Clouds - back
Rain - forecast for this afternoon
Temperature - definitely chilly. and a bit damp.

Oh, to be in England...

hang on; the next line is "Now that April's there"

Fair enough - it is still March.



All that snow made last week a whole load easier than it might have been; several schools closed, and several pupils cancelled. I had been dreading getting through all the lessons, but in the event I had a gentle slide back into the world of work.

So far,

I haven't finished reading the Brambly Hedge "Autumn" book; Primrose the little mouse is still missing and everyone is still looking for her.



I haven't finished reading the Gospel of St Matthew; I'm a member of a "Bible Book per Month" Book Club and that's the one to finish before the meeting on Monday. I'll choose an "easy" version for speed; The Message, or Good News. But then again, if I use my grandmother's copy of the JB Philips translation, I can see all her annotations. Tempting.




I haven't finished Sebastian Barry's "Days Without End"; actually I've only just started it. I've joined another book club, one I've wanted to be in since a friend started it a number of years ago. At the time I didn't have the time or energy; too much going on at home with the family and work. Now is the moment! Carpe Diem! It really is time I started reading some "grown-up" fiction. At least I've got until Easter Monday to finish it. Chapter 1 was fascinating - very, very dense, and no real dialogue at all. I can see that it is going to be an interesting read, in an interesting style.



It is very pleasant taking a slow and steady breather in the middle of the day. We have become involved in a simple plan to go to Salzburg with my father for a few days later in the real Spring.



The plan was simple at the start; flights plus hotel for the three of us too and from Salzburg. I say simple; I need to arrange oxygen and get a fit-to-fly certificate and so on, which has a bearing on what flights we choose. A direct flight is better. Arranging oxygen on a series of different flights doesn't appeal - too many opportunities for things to go wrong.

I chose the word "involved" regarding our participation in the plan; there is also a 90th birthday party in a town some twenty or so miles away; so that means taxi or train or bus from Salzburg for the party.

Ah, but it looks as though separate arrangements are in progress to books us into a hotel in the town, so we only need flights.



That probably explains why when I tried to book flights plus hotel in the birthday town, the hotel was full. But the most convenient of the cheaper direct flights from England gets in to Salzburg at about 8pm... - fine for a local hotel, no so fine for travelling on...

And so it goes on. We shall discuss, make plans, "improve" the plans, confuse ourselves, finalise and then book everything tonight, come what may, and then I will set about the fit-to-fly and the oxygen and then it will all be settled. Apart from booking in our ancient cats to a cattery somewhere. 

 As St Julian of Norwich said

“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” 
― Julian of Norwich