Just stopping in to say hi and tell you that we woke up to hail and freezing sleet this morning. Last time I looked it had risen to a grand old 34 degrees F. This is the coldest and longest cold spell I can ever remember in our years of coming down to Florida and from what they are saying it is beating old record temps. I feel for the fern and flower growers in our area plus all the orange and grapefruit groves.
Aparently a cold snap will actually make the fruit on the trees sweeter but not for this long or this cold. I heard that if the cold gets to the tree itself for 4 hours or more they will actually lose the trees. I believe this is what happened when so many groves folded up and sold their land to developers for homes. But with no homes being built right now they don't even have that option. Between unemployment and the terrible weather all over this country we are facing more hard times. The price of everything will go up and will become scarcer. When I was a child growing up in Canada during the war years fruit was very scarce and it was a treat not an everyday item for us. At Christmas our stockings had fruit and nuts in them and not toys, etc. like the children have now. I sound like I am 100 years old - not quite but do think we are going to see a lot of things like they used to be before our prosperous years set in.

On a brighter note I am all excited for the winter Olympics to begin in Vancouver, BC. I will sit and watch all of it. Even the luge and the cross country with the bow and arrows. I soak up every minute of it. Must be my Canadian blood. I do watch parts of the summer Olympics but not with the same enthusiasm. The scenery from Vancouver and Whistler should be magnificent. I am looking forward to what they do for the opening. I remember the Calgary Olympics and they did a wonderful job. I must say every host country does wonderful. So come Feb. you know where I will be in front of my new 42" HD screen that luckily just fit in my armoire in the Living room.

I received quite a few books for Christmas and I will take some pics and review them as I really read them in the next week or so. The one book I really wanted was the A-Z of Silk ribbon by Ann Cox. It was ordered and shipped Dec. 11 and no book yet. Amazon credited my account so now have to go online and order it again.

Keep warm wherever you are or stay cool in OZ.