Missing Fiona and her whooping of joy

We had the first snowfall of the season today. Everything was covered in white for the whole day. Mirinda had uni so she had to drive and walk in it as she travelled into Stockholm. I, on the other hand, was stuck in my study alternatively staring at either my screen and out the window. Each time I looked out of the window, I remembered the squeals of delight uttered by an excited Fiona last year as she ran out of the stuga and started dancing in the snow.

Sadly, the snow remained undisturbed today.

There was also the snow angel she made at Nicoline’s place on New Years Eve. She really enjoyed the snow.

There was not a lot of snow enjoyment for me, though. I had an email from our Portuguese accountants asking various invoicing questions which I had to address. This involved searching through my almost meticulously kept records, looking for the necessary information.

When we lived in Farnham, I had a big old grey filing cabinet in my garden office. It helped but, inevitably whenever I needed to find various bits of paperwork, I’d wind up sorting everything on our big dining table, making notes as I went before, finally, re-filing everything.

These days it’s a bit easier and does not involve any paper. Or furniture.

Everything is digitised and stored on my eternal drives and I use Notion to catalogue everything. It’s still a form of filing, but it’s definitely easier (and less time-consuming) than the big old grey filing cabinet.

I realise I’m only using a fraction of Notion’s capability, but it’s perfect for me. Even so, it took me quite a few hours to find what I needed to complete the task at hand.

Eventually, though, I was finished and could relax with my usual Reading Hour, finishing a long chapter on Joseph Stalin, just before Mirinda returned from uni.

I’m currently reading a biography of Joseph Stalin. Everyone was frightened of him, with very good reason, obviously. The thing I don’t understand about maniac dictators is why people don’t just get rid of them?

In Stalin’s case, I wonder at his stupidity. He was lying sick having suffered a stroke, but everyone was too scared to go and check on him. Who knows? If he had been a more benevolent and kindly leader, they may have given him a few more years beyond the 74 he managed to survive. Unlike the millions he had killed. I guess it’s justice of a sort.

Anyway, enough of that! I can’t have that spoil the delightful vision of our house in the snow today. This was how it looked when I went out to check the letter box.

I will have to venture out into it tomorrow to go shopping. Wish me luck!