happy new year!

New Year's Eve thoughts:

Should old acquaintance be forgot? Never! I love my old acquaintances! Zooming with some of them as we speak! And yes, let's take that cup of kindness yet for I am indeed extending a hand to any and all my trusty friends and definitely, let's drink a toast to long long ago. 

But mainly, I'll drink a toast to a better 2022. We had some pretty amazing moments in this last year, but, of course, there is always a better tomorrow before us and maybe we'll have it next year and maybe we will finally exhale and smile big broad happy carefree smiles. With hope comes happiness.

Daytime fun:

I shaved Ed's beard today. Usher in the new, right? Sitting across from him at the breakfast table reminded me that it is time for me to remind him to get it trimmed.

And then we went skiing. Our local park has two arms to it -- the left and the right. We love the right for peaceful walks (there are no facilities and it's nearly always empty), but the left has the (relatively) extensive groomed trails for skiing. Still, it's fun to sometimes ski an ungroomed trail, with all its bumps and lumps and trampled paths. Since we had a further dusting of snow last night, the ice cover was (somewhat) hidden and we could once again feel the crunch of snow as we zipped along.

And too, once again, we saw the cranes. What are they waiting for? There's a snowstorm coming tomorrow and after it we get an Arctic blast. Go now, I want to say, go today!

 

But, they have their own wisdom and today, they are still feeding off of the cornfields in Wisconsin.

New Year's Eve dinner:

How to make a meal more memorable? Well, if you feed your family seafood pasta on a fairly regular basis, you have to change things around a little for this special evening. Bring out a bottle of champagne, first of all. That will chill out the adults in the room. Then, have a couple of lobster tails on you. And use the bigger shrimp, even if does mean you have to shell and devain them yourself. Oh and skip the tomatoes. A white sauce always seems more elegant.

The young family comes a little earlier than usual. We all chat for a while and then I turn to my foods and they turn to their toys and eventually we do sit down... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... and drink a toast to those we wish would be here with us. And to the little kids among us. 

 

 

 

And to the big ones too. And friends and neighbors and all peace loving people and never forget the animals in the forests -- all in our hearts, always.

Later, as the clock chimes midnight... Well of course, I cant tell you what happens then. My post must be published before the clock strikes twelve. In anticipation of that moment when we crawl out of 2021 and leap into 2022 --  happy new year! To all, with love.

next to last day

There's icy and then there's icy. There's cold and then there's cold. Today was "then there's icy," next week it will be "then there's cold." What we need is a snowfall in between, to cover up the icy fields of what some would call snow. Only the brave would venture out to ski in what we have there now.

By 11 in the morning I quit waiting for Ed to wake up. Put him outside on skis and he turns into a winter bear afterwards. Me, I have to be up because I could only get a grocery delivery before sunrise. That's okay. I let the radio fill the kitchen with music and settle in to the last piece of Christmas panettone.

By the time Ed drags himself downstairs,  we have little time left for skiing. But we do it anyway! Off to the local park .... where it's "then there's icy." 

But it's a rare day where I'm not going to like a ski run.  A forest with the crunch of snow, a meadow lost under a white quilt -- they're all magical. And today, the quick drive to the park and back gave us a last farewell to these gallant birds before they really call it quits and fly off to Miami for some hot night life there.

In the afternoon, the kids are here again and this time, I steer them away from skiing. They wont feel confident on icy snow, so I bring out the sled for some easy fun.

And this time, they stay down the hill, where Snowdrop spins one of her usual stories, this one with an Aunt Rose visit, requiring a transport of logs for the occasion. Sparrow is just happy to be included in the story line.

After an hour of play, I start making noises about it being soooo much warmer inside! We go through our usual five more minutes (which ends up being more like half an hour's worth of five more minutes) and eventually I just insist and maybe I should have not insisted because once inside, they look at my suggestion table (where I put out new books or books I think we should reread) and they get me to read to them for the remaining two and a half hours that they are with me. Nonstop. Well, no, I do pause to make hot chocolate. And then it's back to Jenny Linsky and the Cat Club, which hits that magic spot where both Snowdrop and Sparrow can feel the thrill of the tale, even as she is almost seven and he is a solid three and a half.

 

In the evening, Ed and I binge watch Maid -- a Netflix miniseries that just sucks us right into its rather depressing set of circumstances. We didn't mean for it to happen, but on the other hand, maybe it's good to think about circumstances that are far far far worse than your own. The episodes are gripping and we stay glued, watching one after another, while the furnace hums and the pine scented candle flickers in its last hour of golden light.

Wednesday

Winter has me switch focus: my daily weather assessments is now a two factor analysis: is there adequate snow for skiing and do I need my ancient and massive parka to keep me warm outside. Oh, I appreciate the sunshine and I do watch the long term weather patterns to get a sense of where we're going, but really, what matters to me is the snow and the right covering for outdoor activity.

So let's take a look out today: hmmm, I wouldn't exactly call that a good snow cover. It's borderline skiable. But we've done borderline before! So maybe a ski day after all?

 

 

But even with a light layer of the white stuff, the cheepers all have a hard time moving around.

They try to make their daily trek to the garage, but give up quickly. Their feet can't stand the cold and their eyes don't like the glare from the snow.

For us, it's a pretty day. Not cold enough for snow pants or my bulky parka, but still, well below freezing. After a cozy breakfast, during which I argue with Ed about whether it is a sign of my not loving cats to want Dance to leave me alone during the morning meal...

... we set out for our first trip to ski the local county park.

And lo, they've groomed the trails! How I love a county that takes care of its parks! 

This makes for slick and wonderful skiing. 

The hills are icy and Ed avoids them completely, but otherwise, it's a spectacular gilde out there, among the snow dusted trees.

On the last stretch of our usual loop, where we ski into the sun across a field covered with snow -- it's just sublime! I could go on forever. And I love my new well fitted boots. And the air feels so crispy clean... I tell you, heaven!

 

In the afternoon, the kids are here again. I'm half tempted to take them to the park, but I know Sparrow will need help and will likely tire of it quickly. So we stick to the farmette lands. First, I take out the sled. The farmhouse is on a slope and you can actually get quite a good slide from the courtyard down to the barn and beyond. Sparrow is a bit apprehensive...

 But the going's great, especially if I give it a good pull at the beginning.

We're good for a handful of runs!

 A hearty appetite calls for a load of snacks and a stack of books inside.

And then they want to try the skis again. I warn them that it's like an ice sheet out there and that the hill will pose its challenges, but they're up for it.

(She wanted the poles, so of course, now he wants them too...)

Skiing very much depends on the conditions of the terrain and I'd say that yesterday, the kids had an easier time moving around, even on the slopey terrain. But of course, good skiers can handle even ice patches, so it's good to get them used to any and all snow conditions. And of course, we end the day with hot chocolate at the farmhouse.

I'd say we are mighty lucky to be skiing in December. It's nearly always cold by now, but having snow on the ground is a hit or miss thing. May it last and grow deeper! We are all on a roll!

 

Tuesday

Morning Thoughts:

 

If yesterday I focused my attentions on my daughter's post-Christmas home, today I target my own space. Outside, a light snow is falling, reminding me of the frustrations of winter weather patterns in south central Wisconsin: you think you're getting a good snowfall and instead you get a wintry mix that makes your driveway and path to the house totally slippery, without giving you the beauty of a snow that would be good for skiing. 

 

 

 

As the flakes and ice crystals cover our walkways, I start in on taking down the Christmas tree. Normally I would do this on the last day of December, but honestly, I've had the tree up for many weeks. It's time to refocus my attention on the rest of winter.

I hear a friend of Ed's remark that we are in this terrible place where everything we looked forward to has happened already and what's left is the rest of winter, a Covid surge, and a spring that's months away. I agree about the futility of seeing joy only in what happens at the end of March. But I don't agree that we have nothing immediately before us except for dark and cold winter days. Just one example: a good snowstorm, followed by a period of intense winter sunshine would be very lovely, don't you think?

I am also a little bit looking forward to teaching the kids to ski. I know that Snowdrop and Sparrow are at different learning ages and have different reserves of patience for winter sports, nonetheless, I am really hoping that I can make some progress here. I watched youtubes last night about the important elements of teaching young ones the art of Nordic skiing. The one piece of advice that I see again and again is to keep it fun and keep it short, and reward it with cocoa at the end, preferable with marshmallows on top. I think I can handle that!

But we need more snow.

Breakfast...

And farmhouse tidying. With an eye out toward the gently falling snow.

 

Afternoon Thoughts:

 

The two older kids come here after lunch. And several things happen: First, they play a little in the snow. (The play consists mostly of throwing snowballs at a willing target. Me.)

But a few minutes is enough for both of them. They want to read/play/eat. Inside.

Outside, the snow keeps falling. Still lightly, but with greater conviction. I'm thinking maybe tomorrow I could dare take out the skis. But Snowdrop has other ideas: what's wrong with today? She has had her snacks and indoor play time. Can't we please try out the skis now? 

I look outside. There does seems to be a nice build up of snow. Are we up for it? It's nearly dusk. There are all these steps you have to take: the thicker socks, the pants, the mitts, the scarves, the caps. Snowdrop is independent, but Sparrow is just three. He needs help. Still, they're motivated and so am I. We step outside. I let Snowdrop try hers on first. Everyone says -- leave the poles behind initially! So I do. And she is off!

Sparrow follows closely behind. What about my skis??

He's a boy who pretty much likes to do anything that his big sister chooses to do, but last winter, he drew the line at snow play and so I'm thrilled to see him actually want to join in this year.

The snow is on the wet side and so speed is going to be limited, but that's a good thing for first timers.

Eventually, Snowdrop wants to try using the poles. The goal is to keep them excited about the sport and to have them take some ownership of it, so I'm pretty agreeable to anything.

I'm suddenly thinking that maybe I'll have a coupe of skiing buddies soon. Maybe they'll love the trails through forests and up and down the hills. Maybe they'll beat me in speed and endurance. Maybe they're already on their way to loving this sport as much as I do!

 

Of course, the skiing is followed by the warm chocolate. With marshmallows swimming on top.