This was a full, cold day. When SGrandson and I left the house at 8:45am, the temp outside was 7degrees! But, I must be truthful, it was the most beautiful day. The sun was shining on the snow and the flakes looked just like the frozen crystals which they are, blinking and twinkling in the glowing sun. The sky was mostly blue, just a great day if you like winter, and hey, if you don't, it would be nice to see too!
Yesterday, the sky was very dark grey all day, it was slick driving, and just enough breeze to make things miserable if you needed to go out.
Today, the toboggan slide reopened in a town near here called Orchard Park, at Chestnut Ridge Park. The chutes have been closed for 5 years due to budget cuts, and used to be very popular. Have you ever ridden on a toboggan? Do you know what they are?
They are usually made of wood, about 6 feet or so long, with a curl at one end, and handles or ropes along the length-which you will of course use to maintain your position inside-not under the sled while you hurl to your death down the high chutes and go down the hills at speeds you never want to achieve again in your life. At least that was my reaction. I can only remember going for a "toboggan night" once with SBrother-in-law#1 when I was about 14 or 15. I remember that the sleds had to be waxed first, tied to the roof of a stationwagon(pre-cursor to the SUV), and that we had hot chocolate near the fireplace at the lodge to warm up or defrost as the case may be.
I also remember listening to a radio station that was playing very old programs that were broadcast originally in the 1940's. I don't remember the exact program, but I think there was a detective involved-The Shadow ring a bell? Or maybe I am mixing that up with the Garrison Keillor characters??? Who knows, it seems like sometimes everything in life is a deja vu experience. Then the ride home with as many people as you can stuff into a car, including the "way-back" as I call the rear section of a stationwagon. These were the days when cars did not have seat belts, so it was just keep mashing in the people, sitting on laps, three across on the front bench seat, and sometimes a lap-sitter there too until no more frozen, tired, happy, wet, sometimes not-owning-boots-kids made their way home.
Well, anyway, the County toboggan chutes are open again-I hope those who never experienced the fun of tobogganing get a chance. Thanks to SBIL#1 for providing it so many years ago to his new family.
Also today, the "shroud" was completed. Do you remember that SHusband gave that name to the weather enclosure for the wheelchair lift which we had installed this fall? I laugh when I say it, and am smiling now while I type that name. It just seems so unsuited. The enclosure is made of lexan which is a material that is used instead of plexiglass now, with a custom made metal frame and a nice forest green roof to match our shutters. I will try to get a picture so you can appreciate it better. This shelter is needed because even though the unit is made for outdoors, not all outdoors are created equally. Our outdoors happens to be on a corner, slight hill, big ol' wind whips the snow around and causes mechanical things to freeze in protest. We have had a few problems, but now we expect to be able to use this whenever needed-we have great faith in our contractor, he has done some wonderful jobs for us, and does detailed, high-quality work.
Weeather Flash: SH just said the thermometer reads 2degrees for outside at 7:30pm. Now we need to check it early in the morning to see if we went UNDER O DEGREES!
So listen, the reason SGS and I were out this cold morning was because he has Karate lessons on Saturday morning, so when we can, we go there. Lotsa fun watching him, he just passed the test for his purple belt recently-tell I tell you that already? I apologize if I repeated it, but I do not apologize for being a proud gramma. I was talking with one of his sensei (instructor) today-she is a black belt(highest color ranked belt), a single Mom, and I was remembering when I was a working Mom, I never had too much free time to enjoy the kid's activities, there was all the STUFF you needed to do to keep the ship afloat and clean underwear for all, and dental appointments kept, and, and , and. Being a grandma gives you so much pleasure to just "be in the moment " (I can't remember ever using that phrase before-what a good description).
After Karate, we had lunch, came home, we all watched the movie "UP" after SGS's much needed shower. This is a PIXAR movie, and one of those marvelous productions that has you really forget at times that it is animation and not photography. We saw the coming attractions way back when, and were looking forward to seeing it together. Even SSon agreed to watch it, and gave it a good review (2 thumbs up) just like the rest of us. There was a nano-moment when I closed my eyes, but I did not get confused about the storyline when I opened them so I must have just snuck a quick senior refresher session. SH on the other hand, very quietly managed to get in his afternoon nap during the movie, almost sliding down off the couch in the process as he relaxed from a position where he was sitting up to one where only his neck was keeping him notched onto the couch! I put my foot as a brace under his foot to keep the total slide from happening. It was a great family movie-but I must say that I don't think it is appropriate for the crowd under 8 years old. There are a few sad moments that I would have not wanted my young child to sit through. Am I being too protective? I was accused by SDaughter of being the meanest Mom in the neighborhood when she was young because I would not let her watch the Simpsons on TV(too much smart mouthing, disrespectful talk from the son on the show) nor the "Slash" Movies. Life is rough enough I think. She told me later that whenever she went for overnights with her friends, that all those movies were played, so much for protecting your child.
When the movie was finished, we read one of the Judy Blume books "Super Fudge", very enjoyable to sit and read with SGS, his reading improves every time it seems. The storyline is cute.
After supper, he is brushing his teeth, and VOILA!, He loses the tooth that has been wiggling all day. He explained that sometimes he gets 2 or five dollars at home or at his other grandmas house. I explained that all houses have their own toothfairy-he smiles.
Then while he and his grandpa discuss and gather rocks that represent mines in the North East States for a school project, I hem his Karate pants. Do not flee in panic to grab your valuables, convinced that the world as we know it is over. I know I may have mentioned that I do not sew, can not sew, hate to sew, BUT, SGS had a need for a hem in his pants, and I did it. I feel like saying "I DID IT!!", just how I taught the kids to say when they accomplished something they thought they couldn't. It is all in the sales, how things are presented. When I called SMom tonight for her evening check, we laughed and compared my sewing ability to her mother's-my SGrandma Viviani, who I share the "no skill in sewing gene" with. I used to thread the needle for SGMV when she sewed because she did not have glasses, but probably should have, but "I no need", a down-turned mouth and a shoulder shrug was her response.
So, now the day is ending, it seems it went too fast, but many things were done, all enjoyed, and isn't that the goal?
p.s. 1.5 degrees now.
p.p. s. now -.5 degrees while I do pictures and spellcheck!
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