Boomer Tackles The Great Outdoors..Alone

I finally decided it was time to go it alone. Take matters into my own hands. Be the master of my fate. I went cross-country skiing. Alone. By my lonesome.


I had been waiting to go with my Hubby. I've only done cross-country a few times so was a little unsure of myself. But it was 20 degrees and sunshiny and Hubby was still suffering from a bad cold. Several other nice days were already behind me, so I couldn't let another pass.

So I dug out the gear, made sure I could put the skis on, then walked down to the lake. It was a good decision. Despite falling three times, one of which didn't count because no one saw me, I enjoyed myself immensely. Went at my own pace, where I wanted to go, for as long as I wanted.

The dog race from a previous Loppet

Ice made beautiful

The lake is soon to be the site of The Loppet, a day of cross-country ski events. This provided lots of things to check-out on my little adventure. The ice luminaries are all in place for the night time event. Skiers with their dogs were practicing for the very amusing dog pulling master (or vice versa) event, and best of all, the trail was nicely groomed.

Doing things by myself is nothing new. When I was young and unmarried I did it all the time. Vacations, movies, plays. But almost 20 years of marriage has made me more partner dependent. The other day I mentioned to DD that I might go to an afternoon movie by myself. She was appalled. Thought it was so sad. I just saw it as exerting my independence once again.

I'm a retiree with time to do things again. Waiting on someone else to come along will hold me back. Cross country today. Tomorrow..who knows?

Saying Goodby to Childhood

DD and Humpty

I cried at the end of Toy Story 3. SPOILER ALERT. When Woody is watching Andy go off to college leaving all his toys behind I could not help but think of the day when my own Darling Daughter heads off.

She's ready to pack away her childhood already. Take the case of Humpty.

My BFF, Darling Daughter's godmother, had an oval shaped pillow with a Humpty Dumpty pillow cover.  She called it her "Conker" doll and carried it around till it was threadbare. When my baby was born, BFF found what may have been the last place on earth to buy a Humpty pillow and presented it to her. That pillow was bigger than my girl.  We called it "Humpty" because we are a less creative family than hers.

There were two constants in DD's little baby/toddler life: her blankie, made by her grandmother, and her Humpty pillow. They were the only things that had to be packed when we travelled and went to bed with her every night.  When she decided she was too big for stuffed animals and the like,  Humpty got squished into a drawer, forgotten, much like Woody got tossed in the toy box, forgotten.

A short time ago Daughter decided to make room for her growing collection of clothes. The floor was apparently out of space. Humpty was put in her Basement or Toss pile in the hallway. I don't know if she felt a little sad or not, but for sure I did. Humpty, now much smaller than my DD, looked a little torn, tattered and forlorn, and I wanted to scoop it up and put it into my bed, keeping a little piece of my baby close by.   For sure it isn't getting tossed.  But I'm figuring Hubby is not quite as sentimental so Humpty will live with all my other baby memorability until the day DD is faced with going through my stuff.

Until then, rest easy Humpty.  Like Woody you are still loved.

Remembering Dad

Today, 35 years ago, my father died. He was 62 years old. I almost didn't remember. Then I noticed some happy birthday wishes to my nephew who was born 2 days before my dad died.

So I am feeling a little guilty that I did not remember the moment I woke up this morning. Because if I don't remember, who will? So here's to my dad and things I remember.

Riding high above everyone on your shoulders
Standing on your feet while we circled the dance floor at the Swiss Hops
Watching you sit in your chair reading the newspaper everyday
Doing the jig in the hallway just for laughs
Teasing mom
Taking grandma to church on Sundays
Sitting in the Consolidated Sales parking lot waiting for mom to get off work, taking bets on whether she'd be the last to leave (and she always was)
Bringing me into the freezer at A and P and showing me how you ground the hamburger
When I got all A's, asking why that 95 average wasn't a 100...just to tease me.
Letting me take the car to Tennessee so I wouldn't be another St. Matthew's driver, like mom.
Buying me a bag of groceries when I moved into my first apartment
Coming out to rescue me at work when I locked my keys in the car even though you were sick
Pretending that you were a monkey because the nurses made you eat so many bananas in the hospital
Finding my 2nd grade picture, with my crooked bangs and crooked teeth, still in your wallet when you died.

Your little girl forever.