A Fatal Grace, by Louise Penny, published in 2006, is the second in the series of Inspector Gamache mystery novels. This one re-introduces us to Three Pines, the village in Quebec, near both Montreal and the US border – though no one as yet has shown any interest in visiting the US, or talking about it much. Instead, readers are learning a lot about Canadians. (So maybe we’re not the center of the universe?)

We learn about the seriousness of winter that far north, about Christmastime in a small village – and about why so very many people dislike CC dePoitiers, who very much lives in her own universe, with her own book / hash of spiritual beliefs, which she just knows the world is waiting for – and which will make her suitably rich.

The murder is bizarre – at a curling match, involving just the right ingredients, invoking just the right response by the victim (who doesn’t seem much like a victim – she is viciously in control) – and resulting in CC being fried. That is, electrocuted.

Inspector Gamache and his team get to work on the physical facts and the intuitive / psychological side of the case. So many possibilities – a husband, a lover, a young daughter, lots of villagers. Excellent work throughout.

A real pleasure, on many levels. This is a great and satisfying book.

Perhaps we shouldn’t complain. After all, we have not had a real winter for several years…and 2 years ago, we had a long fall that devolved into an early spring. But really….

This is too much. We are way ahead of normal snowfall, have had the coldest weather in over 20 years – and now have days more of that deep chill coming again, following several days of snow.

This morning, all was well when I woke up. The predicted snow had not fallen, and so my breakfast with an Atlanta friend in town for a bridal shower looked great. About 10 minutes later, looking out the window – the snow was pouring down, huge flakes sticking everywhere. It was already sticking on the street and cars were slowing down.

I checked the radar – it looked like it would clear in half an hour or so. With a phone call, we arranged to meet at a closer spot, once she was out of the traffic jam on the expressway. She txtd when near – I looked out the window, there was no snow. By the time I got downstairs and out of the garage – it was pouring down again. I crossed my fingers and headed out.

While we enjoyed breakfast, no real snow – just a bit blowing off the roof of the church. So I decided to go buy salt and head to the office for a scheduled meeting. I headed to the salt place – all clear. I buy the salt, and while it’s being loaded in the car – here comes the blizzard conditions again.

I just surrendered and came home, powering up the driveway fast, with 150 pounds of salt in the trunk. Later, two kids came up with an offer to shovel – so I hired them to do the whole drive, the porch and steps and the neighbors’ piece. Somehow both of us managed to pay them, so they had a good day.

The drive is clear now, but it’s 15 degrees outside, and snow is coming again tomorrow. This is winter with a vengeance. Not fair! But here nonetheless.

So there I was last night, in Joseph-Beth Booksellers, for the monthly meeting of our Writers Group. And I had a bit of time before our gathering, plus a coupon for half-off the second most expensive thing I would buy.

I had been going to put Doris Kearns Goodwin’s new The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism on my Christmas list for someone to buy for me.

But then I was in high finance mode, trying to figure out how to save the most money. The only other thing I was going to buy were some cans of tea, and that wouldn’t save me much. So I bought The Bully Pulpit as a present to myself, and then bought The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries I had just seen out on a table (another present for myself, but one that would take its place on the Christmas coffee table next year) – and got half off of that.

So that all made me happy! In addition to which, 2 of the tea canisters were tea from Downton Abbey, and Christmas present for friends. Good all around.

Almost as soon as my new cleaning person hit the door during the summer, I started adding on an hour for her to clean out a closet, drawers or cabinet every time. Then she organizes the stuff, and puts it on the bed in the guest room.

Just today, I finished choosing, organizing and putting away all the office supplies from the little cabinet here in the office. I’ve left a stack I don’t need, for Rebecca to choose from – or I’ll put what she leaves in the Freestore bag in the garage.

Just a couple more spaces for her to organize: the bathroom closet, and the gift closet in the office. Amazing how much better everything feels – and now, it’ll all be done before Christmas!

Plus – she makes all her own green cleaning products. Terrific!