Happy Thursday, friends! I hope your week, thus far, has been a good one. This week has included a lot of reflection for me. Not necessarily in the most positive sense – sad but true. Today (February 1st) marks exactly one year since my surgery and the beginning of a very long year. (Too) often this week I have found myself thinking “a year ago this time”….and, however I fill in the blank, it tends to make me very melancoly. I’m not 100 percent sure why. Trust me, there were blessings a plenty in that week and with my surgery – and I don’t want to overanalyze it and/or spend more time in the past – but it has been a thoughtful, if not heavy, week. I’m heading out to spend this afternoon with a bestie and I know I will feel much more light-hearted when I get home this evening.
That said, when I looked at my “suggested/potential schedule” for today’s post, I was bit taken back. It was supposed to be a memory. Really? More memories. But when I jotted down that suggestion much earlier this month, I was planning to highlight a favorite memory from January. Or even a fun memory from the past. But, yesterday, I was drawing a blank. Isn’t it a sad truth that where we allow our thoughts to sit can really overshadow – and complete impact – all the good? Cause us to overlook or even forget all the blessings. And really kill our joy.
So, just for fun and hopefully to refocus my thoughts, let me share a quick memory and a cute highlight. (Enough about memories from an entire year ago!!) January was a bit quiet. A welcome quiet, to be sure, but not a lot of things out of the ordinary took place. However, we did have our first snow of the season. Actually, our first snow in quite a while since last winter was free of measurable snow! (Yes, that was a highlight of last year!) The Junior Church kiddos were beyond excited with the white stuff and we have embraced the snow/ snowman theme for all it is worth this month. One night after our monthly church fellowship, they all went sledding. It really did look fun. Our church is on a hill and there are some really good sledding spots around the property.
But I have to admit, around my own neighborhood, I don’t think I saw one person with a sled. Nobody. Go figure. I was thinking about when I was young. There were some great hills in our neighborhood and we (kids from everywhere) would sled for hours. And we would sled in the streets. We did not use toboggan type sleds….but real sleds:) With metal runners. For some reason, they went best on the streets. I think it also took the street department much longer to scrape the neighborhood streets clean. It also seemed that traffic/cars were few and far between when the streets were snowy. Only those with chains ventured out. No snow tires back in the day. Just chains….lol! I just remember sledding being so much fun.
When I was in middle school, we had moved and our new house was on a very flat street. The front yard was completely flat but the back yard was a huge slope/hill. And we the house was on a lake. So, starting at the end of the driveway (on the flat front part of the yard), my brother and his friends would flatten down a good path through the snow. The path led down to the lake. Then they would run the hose over the path and let it ice over creating a slope from the top of the yard, down the back yard hill, and out on the frozen lake. It was Olympic bobsled worthy. At least, in our eyes and in my memory. The guys loved. I did, too, but it was incredibly fast!! And I’m a bit of a wimp. Ah, but great memories.
These days, I’m much more about crackling fireplaces, warm drinks in cute mugs and all the cardigans and socks that make me feel snuggly when it comes to snow days. But I did enjoy seeing cute Mr. Finn enjoy his first snow. He is four months now and really enjoying all the new things!! I have decided to make him the highlight for January!!
Oh boy – those ears!!:) Here’s to a wonderful weekend. There’s not a whisper of snow in the foreseeable future. I’ll take it. Enjoy the sunshine…and thanks for stopping by the blog!!
Your puppy is precious! And hearing about your memories of sledding makes me think of how cool it is, that we all have different memories of childhood, depending on where we grew up. Mine would be more of swimming constantly. All day in the summers and into the evenings after school.
I hope the outing with your friend cheered you up 🙂
‘I’m much more about crackling fireplaces, warm drinks in cute mugs and all the cardigans and socks’
I’m with you, Jennifer. I do get outside and feel so much healthier and stronger when I do. But I sure do love the indoor life right about now. And in the process, hope for spring.
Stay cozy, friend …
Can you imagine the health and safety aspect of sledding down and hill and onto a frozen lake nowadays? What a fun thing to do, but I think I would only try it once! I’ll be joining you in front of that fire with a warm drink instead I think!
I loved reading here, Jennifer. Your memories of sledding when you were young, plus talking about your church family sledding during the snow that you had brought back a lot of memories for me, as well. The house we lived in before moving here to our current location had a hill behind it that was perfect for sledding. It was pretty much a given that if there was snow it was time to head to our house with your sled. We would build bonfires, pop popcorn over it, make Smores and yes, enjoyed the sledding. When people got too cold, they knew they were always welcome to come inside our home and warm up with hot chocolate or tea.
Such fun!
And your Fin is a cutie!
Hi Friend! I enjoyed reading about your memory. Sledding onto a lake seems very brave! Though this, ¨These days, I’m much more about crackling fireplaces, warm drinks in cute mugs and all the cardigans and socks that make me feel snuggly when it comes to snow days.¨ really resonates with me. I hope you have a great week ahead!