We had quite a bit of snow fall yesterday and through the night. Our snow blow pro was here around 9 am to clear the drive and paths in the backyard to the chicken coop and the woodshed. I hadn't slept well, so after fetching the $30, taking a pic to remind me of the date he was here, and feeding the cats (who were demanding breakfast), I had to lie back down. I dozed until around 1pm, then guilted myself into getting up to cook a meal for the chickens. While it cooked I cleaned the cat litters, with my back aching badly, and washed up. My back pain today has been mid-back, above where the doctor injected the steroid. It was probably due to all the wood loading and stacking that I did yesterday. I grabbed a banana, an apple, and a chicken breast left over from dinner last night and sat down with pillows at my back to eat, take my meds, check my email, and do the daily jigsaw puzzle as a distraction from the backache.

I had to wake Toad to take the food to chickens while it was still warm; before he went out I asked if he was going to feed the wild birds while he was outside. He did. No problem. He wasn't as crabby today and it seemed to me that he wasn't as short of breath,  nor was he coughing that short hacking cough as often. Tomorrow, though, I am going to call our family doctor and make an appointment for him to be seen because he feels so terrible.

We have had a freezing rain warning since yesterday, and it crossed my mind early this afternoon that I should do my French practice in case we had a power outage. I just wasn't in the mood, though. My brother Skyped (he's caught a cold) and less than a minute into our visit our Internet access was disrupted. Geez. I had to find my brother's phone number and our long distance calling card number before I could call him to explain. I had the receiver in my hand and the calling card number ringing when all of a sudden the Skype ring tone went off. It was my brother. We were back online.

A few minutes later my daughter Skyped, so once again we had a group call. My brother soon begged off, as he was going to lie down. I had a nice visit with D and the boys, although it was not a long visit. At one point GT held up the soft bunny and said "I love this bunny!" D said that GC didn't want the lamb in his bed because "It's eyes aren't right." It's eyes are bright, unlike the stitched eyes of Baa Baa, the big stuffed sheep that he loves so much. So "Baby Baa Baa" sat on the sofa last night. During our Skype visit I watched him pick up Baby Baa Baa and warily examine its eyes.

The boys had really liked the books I sent. She read three of them to them last night at bedtime: the Paddington Bear book, the Trains book with flaps to open, and Goodnight Ocean. The big favorite of the three was Goodnight Ocean. GT's favorite animal in it was the hammerhead shark; he said "that's funny!" The boys always want to hold the book after she reads it, trying to read it themselves. GT was holding Goodnight Ocean and, unable to read anything but the title, was turning the pages and saying "Goodnight water", "Goodnight fish". D said it was so cute!

After our Skype visit ended due to poor Internet connection (no goodbyes, even), I heeded the warning and went right to Duolingo for French practice to maintain my streak. I did a strengthen Medical review lesson and a strengthen skills lesson, and then read the second of the ten new French stories (Set 3): Le plus grand des trésors.

For dinner I cooked us a dinner of potato pancakes with shredded cheese, using up the leftover mashed potatoes from dinner last night. They weren't great but they were filling. Afterwards Toad and I watched Columbo S2E1 Étude In Black. He is quite fond of Columbo and chuckles at the mention of him. He was ready to go to bed following Columbo, so I gave him his evening/bedtime meds at 8:30pm and readied his morning meds. 

My son's birthday is thiscoming Thursday, so I ordered his gifts this evening. That took a while. I've heard good things about the Google Mini, so I bought that for him, along with two soft plain tee shirts, one black, the other deep cobalt blue. While perusing Facebook I ate a few Medjool dates. They are very sweet and satisfying. I spent some time chatting online with an old friend who is having hard times.

And now I am drained of any energy I had today. My back is aching and I am going to go to bed and read.

I'm Reading: Death At La Fenice, by Donna Leon

Snow Blow Pro at work this morning; Toad in his tuque

Today's jigsaw puzzle

Information given about the jigsaw photo

Le plus grand des trésors.

My grandsons, via Skype capture; Big Baa Baa in foreground