The Power of Wool or How to Impress Yourself

Here's how :
1. leave home without checking weather report
2. drive a car which is totally unsuitable for winter driving
3. arrive in town and spend hours rearranging Emlyn's furniture

4. take break and give her a little surprise I just finished knitting ( note date at top of mittens !)

5. go out to lunch and fool around taking pictures of cool buildings while a gentle ice rain falls on bare head ( forgot hat )

6. go shopping until dark , then stay for tea and cookies until weather gets lots worse. Drive home on ice covered roads in second and third gear, slipping and sliding all the way. Drive home takes 3 times as long as usual. When driveway is tackled by unsuitable car, car loses and can't make it. Get out and realize that it is literally impossible to stand up ! Realize that hat and gloves would be a nice thing to have at this point since ice rain is still falling.

7. Take off shoes and walk up 1/4 mile driveway in total darkness and in stocking feet. Stocking feet are comprised of wool socks I knitted ( see above ), .When I get to locked gate, I can't climb over fence, because fence boards are too slippery. Have to stand on bottom board and wait until socks freeze to board before I can heave myself up and over.

8. finally get into house and peel off socks. I am totally amazed and impressed : my feet are not frozen clumps of ice, they are toasty and warm !! I feel like Admiral Perry and Jack London rolled into and I'm completely impressed by myself. The tulips ? Couldn't bear to leave them in the car and carried them up the hill in icy darkness.

Footnote : it took the dog several tries to negotiate up one step to the mudroom door landing. The ice is too slippery even for 4 feet !