Everyone's a Winner

We spent a sunny early afternoon in the company of a couple of toddlers on their first-ever egg hunt. The day was warm as the little girls in their Easter finery scampered about the courtyard looking for the colorful plastic eggs their bunnies had hidden and depositing their treasures in little baskets they carried over one arm. 

Oh, they relished the hunt almost as much as the tiny handful of cheerios they discovered within each egg. They were grateful for the challenge and happy for the rewards.

Me, too! Thanks to the folks at Two Writing Teachers for sponsoring another March writing challenge. It's been fun and inspiring, as always.

The Ice Boom

Every spring my father-in-law would send me a newspaper clipping with a quick, handwritten note: The ice boom is out!

He was referring to the apparatus which is installed each autumn where Lake Erie meets the Niagara River. Its purpose is to limit the amount of lake ice flowing into the river which can damage not only shoreline property, but also the hydroelectric works that power Western New York. The ice boom is a harbinger of winter, and its removal is a sign of spring.

My father-in-law passed away last fall before they installed the ice boom, but I'm pretty sure he was around when I happened to flip open the newspaper the other morning on our visit to Buffalo.

Dead Reckoning

Suddenly, a traffic sign blinked its warning: despite the clear road we were enjoying, just a few miles ahead there was major congestion. The angry red line on our map app only confirmed the bad news, and our ETA was rising like a fever. Despite limited knowledge of the area, I made a spontaneous decision to bail out onto a secondary road that seemed to go in the right general direction.

Immediately I felt my blood pressure lower. Ahead was a rolling two-lane road flanked by century-old brick homes and barns, and cutting a clear swath through woods and farmland. The sun was setting behind us as we headed east and south, bathing the entire landscape in golden light. 

Oh, my navigation app was not happy-- it advised us to make a U-turn, then make a left turn, then make a right turn, all suggestions I ignored. And I could almost hear it sigh with annoyance and then, was that surprise? As it re-routed us and took 15 minutes off our arrival time.

Wish Come True

It was a happy coincidence that our spring break fell the week of my mother-in-law's birthday, the first since her husband had passed away. We planned a low-key celebration: homemade biscuits for breakfast, an outing with the dogs, dinner at a favorite restaurant, ice cream cake for dessert. We also picked up a hand-sander, a tool that she mentioned needing for some small home improvement projects she had planned and wrapped it up with a pretty yellow ribbon.

These were small enough gestures, but it turned out to be a really good day. So much so that my mother-in-law, not the most demonstrative of folks, gave each of us a big, spontaneous hug, before heading happily off to bed, where she slept soundly through the night, another unusual occurrence around here!

Why We Have Dogs

We tried to take the dogs to walk in a park we often enjoy in the summer, but when we arrived it was closed for construction. The dogs were more than happy to ride over to the cemetery where we could pay our respects and also walk the winding paths, but when we got there, it was too muddy to enjoy. The dogs didn't complain at all when we continued on our way to the trail that runs along the creek and through the university, and they were pleased to jump out of the car and trot merrily along the path. But there were a lot of joggers and bikers whizzing past us and some nasty goose poop, too, so we cut that outing short and headed home, which the dogs were fine with. And the dogs loved it when we finally took them for a nice walk around the neighborhood. Their pink tongues and wagging tails told us that today? Was yet another amazing day!

Beauty All the Way

Blossoming trees lined the way as we drove north yesterday. "Don't get used to this splendor!" I warned my spouse with a laugh, the further we drive, the barer the trees will be."

And of course, I was right, but the day was beautiful even so: warm spring sunshine, clear blue sky, dove-gray mountains, and evergreen forest. Six-and-a-half hours rolled by as easily as the two-lane roads we drove. 

And, arriving in Buffalo, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the temperature was warmer up here than at home. We couldn't have asked for a better trip than that!

Safe Travels

The sun is shining and our bags are packed. The audiobook is chosen, the snack bag is loaded up, the car is full of gas, and the road to Buffalo stretches ahead. Once that rush hour traffic clears? We will be on our way.

After reading about everybody else's vacations all weekend, it's time for our own road trip.

After I wrote this, I searched my blog to be sure I had a unique title, (which can be a challenge after 15 years!) Never have I called a post "Safe Travels" but I was taken by the other times I've used the phrase:

Saturday, May 21, 2022 

E is for Extended 

We gathered today in Lynchburg for the high school graduation of Heidi's goddaughter. The last time we were in this little city on the James River was nearly 18 years ago when the same child was born. Shortly after that, her family moved to New Jersey, and over the years, we've attended christenings, first communions, and other milestone events of her and older sister's where we have met her grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and other close family friends. It's been about 10 years since the last celebration, though, and in that time the family has returned to the same private school where her dad worked when she and her sister were born, and it was from that school that she graduated today. 

How strange it is to spend the day with people we know and keep up with through our mutual acquaintance but have only met a few times and haven't seen in ten years. Dining on sandwich wraps and cookies, the quality of interaction shifts from superficial to friendly to almost intimate. But then the conversation flags and we stand awkwardly to throw our paper plate in the trash, refill a solo cup with iced tea, and repeat the ritual with another partner until it's time for goodbyes. There will be the decision to hug or not to hug. "Safe travels!" we will say. "It was so good to see you again." 

"Until next time!" they might answer, And because it occurs to us that these meetings are most definitely numbered, we nod and lean into that hug. 

Life Lesson: Live in fragments no longer. Only connect! ~E.M. Forester Saturday, 

November 17, 2012 

Some Habits Die Hard 

This morning I was facetiming with my mother. She's coming to town tomorrow for the holidays, so I wanted to get her flight info and wish her safe travels. I was sitting in an easy chair by the window during the call, and rather than allow my face to be darkened by backlighting, I turned sideways so that my folded legs were against one arm and my back rested against the other. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions, so I was wiggling a bit to find a sweet spot as we chatted. 

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?" my mother asked me. 

(Full confession: As a kid, I was notorious for getting caught up in something and rather than pausing, I would just do a little dance until the moment was more convenient to visit the restroom. My family might say that I never outgrew that particular quirk. Whatever...) 

"No!" I answered, and started to explain, but then I stopped and said, "Mom! I think now that I'm fifty you can stop asking me that question." 

"No I can't," she replied. "You'll always be my little girl." 

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 

Non-stop 

The question of the day was What are your three road trip must-haves? 

First answer? 

Food, phone, and a bottle to pee in. 

Well. 

Safe travels, kid. 

Sunday, April 14, 2019 

Wardrobe Change 

Many of my friends and colleagues are headed south and west to warmer weather for spring break this week. We are headed north to Minnesota for a visit with my mom. And to tell you the truth? The weather here has been pretty mild the last couple of days, and after seeing myself in shorts-- another week of cool weather might not be too bad! 

Safe travels to all!