Deep Freeze

I can't keep writing about the weather here, can I? Well waking up to -27C (with wind chill -36C) I feel it's just something I can't ignore. It's the first time I've woken up with thick ice on the inside of my windows since I was a little girl living in pre-central heating days in England. Trouble is the heating was on all night!

It's so cold, the schools are closed. So cold, there are constant weather warnings on TV telling people to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. So cold you can get frostbite within minutes of being outside if you leave any area of your body other than your eyelashes exposed.

The other side of the coin is that it is so beautiful. Even in the cold, the sun still has the good grace to shine. We have nearly a foot of snow, white, crisp and even against the bright blue sky. Naturally it looks even better from inside your house. Every building looks like it has been suddenly redecorated for Christmas, with a wide fringe of icicles strung along every roof.

Locals who are far more used to Chicago winters than I am, still complain about just how bad this is. But unlike the British who have a tendency to moan about far less severe weather problems, they take it with a sense of humour and their usual optimism. After all, it's only a couple of months until spring, right?