It’s a very pretty place to be in…very colourful …and warm . There’s  a cold wind outside, but  my stove is burning nicely in the corner. My Christmas  lights , which I never took down are twinkling from the mantelpiece and I lit a candle.

Maybe I will bring Ted down from upstairs and he can sit in the other chair.

It’s  very different from summer when even if I was at home the door would be open and I could hear people in the street.

Once I get used to it I’ll  be fine.

I haven’t done much painting today as I was busy cooking 3 weeks worth of lentils, making peanut butter and organising my next commission.

But I did spend about an hour on the portrait in my rather chilly workroom. Maybe it’s  time to start painting beside the stove.

In a normal winter I more or less shut off half my house.

Today I’m  a bit distracted  as my daughter, her husband and my oldest granddaughter are all travelling down through England to Leatherhead where tomorrow my daughter will take part in a body building competition.  She wanted to do something outside her comfort zone. It seems she has succeeded. She has trained since the spring which has included eating a very specific diet. She would have stopped at the end of August ,but she came 2nd in her very first competition and was eligible for the UK finals.(I think I have that right.)

I am very impressed and proud of her. She has 2 jobs, her own business and a family to take care of. Obviously she has all the energy I am lacking.

This was her idea of how to mark her 40th birthday.

Clocks change tonight I think.

There are 2 more cases of the virus in Pisticci.

Wine time now. Cheers 🍷🍷