“If winter comes can spring
be far behind?”
from Ode to the West Wind. Percy Byshe Shelley
Here in the antipodes we are in the middle of winter. In fact as Christina Rosetti’s carol has it, it is the Bleak mid winter here. The past few days have been bitterly cold. Oh not as cold as it gets in Montreal or Glasgow but cold for us. Most days the temperature hasn’t risen above 12 degrees Celsius (about 53 degrees Fahrenheit). And I don’t like the cold; nor does Lotte.
Too cold to get up
And today I spent six hours with a friend who has just discovered a large lump in her breast. We went to the hospital for a barrage of tests and then to the specialist, who just so happens to be the surgeon who operated on my lump. So apart from being cold it was a miserable day in all respects.
The one bright spot, another friend cooked dinner for me.
So now after this grumpy post I am going to take myself off to bed with my book and a cup of tea. And perhaps a Lemon Treat biscuit to cheer me up.
Hopefully tomorrow I shall wake up in my usual Pollyanna way, looking at the world through rose coloured glasses, etc. etc.
“No matter how dark the night we know that
whatever happens the sun will rise tomorrow
and then all the shadows
will be chased away.”
Judith Baxter 1938 –
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I choose how I will spend the rest of my life 
Good morning ! 🙂
Rise and shine. 😀
I hope my post makes you smile today. 🙂
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Thank you – yes it did make me smile. 🙂
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I’m sorry your day was so miserable. I guess everyone has a dark day now and then. I hope today is brighter for you 🙂
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Yes thank you. The sun shone, my friend had a restful night and I am back to my cheerful best. 😛
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Oh Judith, you friend is in my thoughts and prayers. I hope the tests found the lump to be non-cancerous. Please keep us posted.
I am not a fan of sweltering heat. The temps are in the 90s (F) here, and I am doing all I can to stay indoors. I long for the days of turtleneck weather.
May the sun bring with it warmer temps for you today. All the best!
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Thank you Lenore. There seems to be little doubt that it will require a mastectomy. We are all here supporting her. 😛
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Hi Judith. Hoping you are un-grumpy today and looking at the world through your rose colored glasses. Odd, but I was grumpy yesterday too. The weather was fine but I was reminded it is getting closer and closer to my son’s move to California on July 3rd. CA is 3,000 miles away from here, and even technology can’t bring it closer. So I was “down” too, but taking a more pragmatic stance this morning. I hope your friend fares well Judith… if I were there or you here, I would cook dinner for you too. 🙂
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Thank you Dor. I would take you up on the offer of dinner. And my friend had a good night and is looking at life with a more positive attitude today. 🙂
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indeed Judith, time to curl up and be gentle with yourself for a bit. Blessings to you.
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Thanks Joss. I am about to go and read for a while – it’s 2.45 pm here. The sun has disappeared again but the heating is on so it is very cosy here.;)
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It is ok to have a down day as long as you believe tomorrow will be better! Here in south Texas we are in the beginning of summer and the hurricane season. I get my grumpy days in Janauary when it is cold and dark. Ode to the West Wind is one of my favorite poems and the line you quoted gets me through the winter. Thanks for the recent like on my post!
I hope your spirits are better today and your friend’s prognosis is good.
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Thank you. I always know that tomorrow will come and will more often than not be better. 😛
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Boy a temperature of 53 sounds lovely right now after the small heat wave we had.
I hope things will be looking up soon for you and your friend. Follow the advice of Annie: The sun will come out tomorrow!
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Thanks Jackie. Some heat from other than the heating would be good – so yes, please send some of yours my way. 😀
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I am hoping for the sun to come out, too, Judith. Yes, it is winter where I am, and it is cold, much to cold for my liking. But then, spring isn’t far away, right?
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Well Uta, we have had the shortest day so things must improve. 🙂
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Praying for a good report for your friend. I’m so glad she had you to accompany her. You and Lotte snuggle up and stay warm!
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Hi Patti. No the prognosis doesn’t look good for my friend, but we are here to support her through whatever she has to face. 🙂 And Lotte and I are snuggled up in our warm little house together. Thanks. 😛
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If it makes you feel any better, it is 12 degrees here and it is suposed to be summer!! I want to stay in my warm bed like Lotte. Blessings to your friend. She is lucky to have you there for her. XO
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Is that Centigrade? Where are you that the summer is being so lousy? We had a summer like that and hope that the next one will be better. 🙂
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testing are my comments being spammed ? big problem with wp
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Yes Carl – there are three in my spam folder at present. I have of course approved them all. I look in this folder each day because of the problem I am having with spam. 🙂
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Yes, it is centigrade, (Sorry I should have mentioned that) I live on the west coast of BC, Canada. It is usually very nice here at this time of the year but we are having a strange summer. We are calling it Juneuary since the temps are what we often get in the winter.
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I have only once been to your part of the world and that was in March/April. It was very pleasant spring like weather for the 5 or 6 days we spent around Vancouver. We are now past the shortest day and so things must get better!.
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Thanks for linkingb my post. Hope your week improves. I’m also not a winter lover and counting the days until Spring.
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Thanks for the comment. 🙂
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Love the quote from Judith Baxter at the end of your post. Miss Judith must be a very wise woman.
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Compliments mst gratefully received. 😛
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