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thisnewdayProbably shouldn't jinx it by saying so, but things have kind of leveled off here for the moment. I've shoveled a lot of snow in the last three days: our driveway and sidewalk three times and the neighbor's twice on Wednesday, ours and the neighbor's twice on Thursday, and the neighbor's once so far today. (That, because the snow plow just had to make 1-n-n-n last pass down their side of the street before it would've, in all probability, melted away.)
The folks across the street have been sort of an anchor to the neighborhood since well before we moved in almost 30 years ago. They raised their four kids - who turned out extraordinarily well, kept up and improved their property, put up with the nonsense that goes with a closely-built urban neighborhood, lived through the heartbreak of losing their eldest to cancer, and have faced the challenges of aging with fortitude and grace.
But this winter, which has been rough on everyone around here, has been especially tough for them. The husband, who is in his early 80s, has had a couple of surgeries and the wife, though more than willing, has a tough time with the heavy snow. So I've been getting outside early - 5:30 AM on Wednesday - to do the driveways and sidewalks and then following-up on the continuing snowfall and maurading, relentless snowplows throughout the day.
My old man used to have a saying for anyone who seemed a little too self-congratulatory: "Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back." But it's really not about that for me. It's about acknowledging that I've accumulated some HUGE debts of kindness, rendered by others on my behalf, and that I've been fortunate enough, the past few days, to make a small payment against them.
Anyway, this will hopefully be the last of any serious snowfall. Temps are supposed to climb near 50 by late afternoon and, after falling into the 20s overnight, be in the 40s again tomorrow. Thus reducing the risk of any future injuries to my own upper extremities, LOL.
Tonight, Number One Grandson has an evening soccer game out in Marcellus and we'll head out there after dropping his grandma off for her 12-hour evening/night shift at the hospital. I look forward to our sports outings because they're a welcome break from the craziness my son and his girlfriend bring into the household and it's good for the grandson to experience the positive energy and cooperative effort of team sports.
Ahead for the day: tons of laundry, kitchen cleanup, and the eternal question of what's for dinner. And that's if things continue on a straight and level course through the rest of the day. Who says there's no such thing as Karma, LOL...
LPK
LiveJournal
3.14.2014 (a)
The folks across the street have been sort of an anchor to the neighborhood since well before we moved in almost 30 years ago. They raised their four kids - who turned out extraordinarily well, kept up and improved their property, put up with the nonsense that goes with a closely-built urban neighborhood, lived through the heartbreak of losing their eldest to cancer, and have faced the challenges of aging with fortitude and grace.
But this winter, which has been rough on everyone around here, has been especially tough for them. The husband, who is in his early 80s, has had a couple of surgeries and the wife, though more than willing, has a tough time with the heavy snow. So I've been getting outside early - 5:30 AM on Wednesday - to do the driveways and sidewalks and then following-up on the continuing snowfall and maurading, relentless snowplows throughout the day.
My old man used to have a saying for anyone who seemed a little too self-congratulatory: "Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back." But it's really not about that for me. It's about acknowledging that I've accumulated some HUGE debts of kindness, rendered by others on my behalf, and that I've been fortunate enough, the past few days, to make a small payment against them.
Anyway, this will hopefully be the last of any serious snowfall. Temps are supposed to climb near 50 by late afternoon and, after falling into the 20s overnight, be in the 40s again tomorrow. Thus reducing the risk of any future injuries to my own upper extremities, LOL.
Tonight, Number One Grandson has an evening soccer game out in Marcellus and we'll head out there after dropping his grandma off for her 12-hour evening/night shift at the hospital. I look forward to our sports outings because they're a welcome break from the craziness my son and his girlfriend bring into the household and it's good for the grandson to experience the positive energy and cooperative effort of team sports.
Ahead for the day: tons of laundry, kitchen cleanup, and the eternal question of what's for dinner. And that's if things continue on a straight and level course through the rest of the day. Who says there's no such thing as Karma, LOL...
LPK
LiveJournal
3.14.2014 (a)
