January 31, 2024
Another month is finishing up,
and really, if I didn’t sit down so much, I think I would be dizzy from the
speed at which time is flying by. The last week has been marked by temperatures
that have been above the freezing mark. We’ve had rain, which has pretty much
rid us of the snow that we’d accumulated earlier. Three cheers for that,
because the presence of snow usually means there’s also ice. Those two
substances are a challenge for those of us who can no longer walk unaided.
I do have an “ice claw” on the
end of my cane. For those who had no idea there were such things, and would
like one, they’re available at Amazon, and they’re not expensive. The ice claws
are easy to put on and then take off again. Mine goes on just after the first
snow falls and comes off in the spring.
No snow on the ground also means
if I go out somewhere—and for me it’s most usually grocery shopping—I can wear
my shoes, instead of tugging on my boots. For these times, and to ensure extra
warmth for my ankles, I have leg warmers. I went out so dressed this past
Monday, and my ankles stayed nicely warm.
Leg warmers are one of those
fashion items that is on the “style pendulum”. They’re in….and then they’re out—before
they’re in, again. The ones I have I obtained during an “in” time a few years
ago, and I’m very glad that I did so.
This past Monday, I asked my
daughter if she would go with me on my biweekly shopping trip, so her dad could
stay home. It’s difficult for David on these trips, especially if the air is cold.
I thought it would be nice to give him a break. She agreed, and as we were planning
the outing ahead of time, we decided to make two stops, total. The grocery
store chain we now use has a location at the local mall, which I also wanted to
visit. As well, there was another store that she thought might have some of the
non-grocery items we had on our list, so we stopped there first.
It had been a good year or
more since I’d last gone to the mall. It’s not that easy for me to go there on
my own—I need my motorized scooter for that. My scooter lives in the back of my
SUV (except for the battery which lives in my office during the winter). I
cannot, however, put the scooter together myself. It’s just too heavy for me
now. I have a walker that I can and do take with me if I am going alone and
anticipate needing to walk no more than a couple of blocks, all told. But if I’m
going to tour a mall, or the entirety of a grocery store, I need that scooter.
After the business of shopping
was over and before we headed home, we stopped at the restaurant at the mall and
had lunch, just the two of us. We don’t eat out often. David is the one who
really enjoys having meals out, most notably breakfast. So if there is a
restaurant visit on any given day, it’s the two of them. Generally speaking, I’m
happy to eat the food I have here at home.
But we had burgers at a restaurant,
my daughter and I, and enjoyed the experience very much. I’m very grateful that
we get along as well as we do.
Today being the end of January,
means that tomorrow is the first day of February. And because that is so, it is
also true that both my husband and my son are eagerly looking forward to this
coming Friday, February 2nd. As two men who have spent their professional lives
primarily outside, year-round, Friday is their most sacred day of the year.
Friday is Groundhog Day.
It’s a day that is special to
them, but subjectively so. Whether or not the rodent gives them an early spring
or a guaranteed six more weeks of winter is key as to how this day will be
received. I recall one winter that was so punishing, our son threatened to
shoot the groundhog if it didn’t give the right prediction.
And this is a man who has
never held or fired a gun in his life.
One thing that is a sure bet
when it comes to this family: we do a good job of coming up with little
celebrations or observances that help us get from the hard now to the hopefully
easier then.
It’s not that we are at all
wishing our time away. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s more that
we’re intent on adding flavor to the time we have, as it happens.
Love,
Morgan
http://www.bookstrand.com/morgan-ashbury
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