A Random Act of Kindness Remembered Two Decades Later

 

John and I recently took my mom for a medical appointment.  John waited in the car, ready to meet us at the door when we finished what was expected to be a quick ultrasound, but I went in to keep her company in the waiting room.  My mom is a very social animal, so it was not unusual that quite promptly she was having a conversation with the lady sitting next to us.  The conversation centered on my mom’s walker – not the usual, sort of ordinary four-wheeled walker with a seat and basket, but a very streamed lined, sleek, red walker that looks like something Mr. Spock might have used if he’d needed one on the Star Trek series.  These two gals bonded as they talked about walkers like men at a cruise-in talk about their classic cars.  Both admitted to owning more than one and both well versed in everything ‘walker’.

Because my mom had an appointment, she was called in before her new friend, so I continued the conversation.  I began by asking if she could guess my mom’s age…..knowing full well no one can ever guess, and most guesses are nearly a decade low.  As I expected, MaryAnn guessed low and when I told her my mom just turned 94, she did what everyone does.  Her jaw dropped and her eyes expressed genuine amazement.  We continued to chat and I asked her if she lived locally since she was using this particular medical center.  She told me she lived on Saratoga Lake and I shared that my mom had also lived on Saratoga Lake.  We shared more specifics regarding the exact location and suddenly she asked, “Did you mom have flowers”.    This question didn’t shock me, my mom is well known for her gardens.  Her gardens had quite the reputation  - in fact, they’d actually stop traffic.  Even people who didn’t know her personally knew of her and referred to her as ‘the flower lady’.  When I answered, “yes, she had a lot of flowers,” the story took on a whole new life.

MaryAnn proceeded to tell me a story about my mom, one I’d never heard specifically, but one I know could be told by many people who regularly traveled around Saratoga Lake.  MaryAnn said, “your mom gave me flowers.  Well, she didn’t give me flowers, she came and planted them in my garden….lilies.  She gave me lilies.”   You can imagine what a déjà vu moment this was for this stranger who was the recipient of my mother’s kindness and generosity more than 20 years ago.  In fact, my mom moved away from the lake 14 years ago.    Both women have aged some since this flower gift took place so neither of them recognized the other until the story came out.

While my mom was having her appointment, MaryAnn got taken back for hers, but when my mom came out, I relayed the discovery of their connection so many years ago.  Mom was surprised but vaguely remembered her memorable gesture.  We waited for MaryAnn to come out and the two of them had a mini-reunion.  It was something special to witness.

What struck me about all of this was not just the coincidence of meeting old neighbors at the most unusual place, but the long-lasting impact a simple random act of kindness can have on people long after that kindness is shared.  I’ve long been aware of my mom’s love of flowers that extends to her generosity of sharing her passion and products of her green thumb far and wide, but seeing first hand how that passion continues to impact people decades later was very profound.  I am quite confident that there are many more people out there that could tell similar stories about flowers that came from mom’s garden.

How do we change the world?

One random act of kindness at a time.

-Morgan Freeman

Life is busy today. Most of us barely get through the day managing our own ‘to-do list’.  We’re distracted by the news, by the state of the country, by the economy, by the pace of life in general.   It takes intentionality to make time to think of others, to perform random acts of kindness, to do something out of the ordinary, to do something that people will remember long after.  What will people remember you did for them one day?   What will be your legacy?  What are you doing to leave an imprint on people?  I think we sometimes feel like actions are required to be big and sensational to be meaningful, but this story reminds us that a simple bunch of lilies taken from one garden and planted in another can be meaningful and remembered decades later.   Although my parents never had a conversation with me about this subject, they both showed me by their actions how to be thoughtful and generous and neighborly.   I think I’ve tried to live up to their example, and I hope one day when people mention my name, some of them will remember something kind I did for them  What will people remember about you?  Let this story be a inspiration to never stop performing little acts of kindness.  You never know who needs it.

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Soaking Up Life's Milestones Reminds Us That Expiration Dates Shouldn't Be Ignored

Life has a way of transporting us through time, from one day to the next decade, similar to the way a northeaster transforms our yard from dormant grass to a winter wonderland overnight – quietly but surely.  Years creep up on us even when we’re living each day, one day at a time. We find ourselves at the end of a season, or school year in what feels like an overnight’s sleep.  And while we’re sleeping, life happens in big moments and small, joyous occasions and sometimes, devastating loss and pain.  That’s just how life is…..fast, slow, highs and lows.  The older we get, the faster it seems to pass and then, it seems, everything feels different.  We notice the good things more, the hurts hurt a little deeper, we applaud the victories with more fervor, and we mourn the losses a little harder.  We have the time and the life experience to see the ‘big picture’ with more clarity and we might be more inclined to notice the significance of events where they felt ordinary before.  That has been the clutter occupying my thoughts this week.

June 15^th is the anniversary of my brother’s passing…..73 years since his short life ended.  I never knew him, but I’ve always felt connected to him.  I often wonder what life would have been like if he were alive.  I wonder if one day I might meet him in Heaven and wonder if he’ll be 10 ½ months old like he was when he died, or if he will have grown in Heaven.  His life, though brief, brought love and joy and smiles to all those around him, and his death brought devastation and heartache that resurfaces even 73 years later.  His life lasted a brief season but his memory will hopefully never be erased.

June 17^th was our wedding anniversary; this year our 48^th.  It doesn’t feel like 48 years; it feels like it passed at a warped speed.  We knew as we took our vows that we meant ‘till death do us part’ but let’s face it, that’s a kind of fairytale in today’s world.  But we promised and we meant it, then and now.  These 48 years have been full – full of ups and some downs too.  We raised two daughters, one diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 10 months of age.  That rocked our perfect little world in ways we could never have imagined and brought challenges and adjustments we weren’t prepared for, yet we faced them head on.  We survived the teen years, the college years and then we handed our precious girls to the men they loved.  Anyone who has kids understands neither of those phases are as easy or simple as they sound.  We embraced the ‘empty nest’ phase and learned to live life as a couple again.  We finished our careers, embraced retirement and the grandchildren God blessed us with, making the golden years sweet and fulfilling. 

Not all of growing older is joyous.  We witnessed both of our dads taken away, bit by bit, by the quiet ravages of Alzheimer’s and we lost John’s mom to lung cancer.  Loss is hard but even as we bury our parents and witness firsthand the reality that life is not permanent, we go about it one day at a time, focused on a narrow view of whatever is shouting loudest for our attention.  We live as if we have forever, even when we know otherwise. 

Forty-eight years as a couple, as best friends, leaning on each other, caring for each other, navigating life with all its joys and challenges together is not always easy.  Some days it’s downright frustrating, but what in life is perfect?  I actually think that it’s getting through the tough things that make a person strong and if we’re lucky, it makes us stronger as a couple.  Some days when I think about the tough things we’ve overcome, I’m a little in awe – of our resilience, our tenacity, our determination, our ability to navigate the storms without drowning.  Yet, there are others who have gotten through things so much more difficult than what we’ve been through.  Forty-eight years, almost a half a century, two thirds of my life that I’ve been lucky enough to spend with my best friend who understands my rambling thoughts, who overlooks my many flaws, who supports all my crazy ideas.  I may not express it daily, some days I may even take it for granted, but at the end of the day, I’d say life doesn’t get much better than that – whether we're creeping down a dirt road or travelling through life at a warped speed.

Monday my mother will be celebrating her 94^th birthday.  She’s lived almost two decades longer than her parents did, 11 years longer than her sister and has outlived many of her friends. She’s buried her infant son and her husband of 58 years.  The appreciation of the life and all it offers isn’t a concept lost on her.  She has always lived life with gusto, surrounded by friends, savoring all the beauty life has to offer.  Having lost her first-born child, the reality that life is temporary has not been something she can ignore.  She learned the hard way not to take life for granted, to embrace it with passion and not miss an opportunity to do the things you love.  I’ve watched her work fulltime, maintain a welcoming home that was often filled with friends and family, nurture a traffic-stopping garden on a postage stamp piece of land, master a multitude of hobbies – all of these while maintaining a large collection of friendships, most that have spanned a lifetime.  One might think this life of hers sounds perfect, but it has been far from that.   Even at 93, she is still living alone, still driving.  She lives life on her terms, unapologetically.  While she doesn’t give voice to the memories, hardships or losses that fill her nighttime thoughts, she doesn’t let them consume her. 

In a couple of weeks I’ll turn 72 – talk about unbelievable.  At least a few times a week I find myself shocked and wondering how I got this old and wonder, “when did I leave my 40’s”.  Most of my relatives died in their 70’s, so it’s hard not to wonder how much time I have left, not to be grim, but just as a matter of fact.  I think more about what the future might hold…. and what it won't hold.  I reminisce more, savor more, love more and ponder more.  Is that because I know all things in life have an expiration?  Or is it because I’ve just come to appreciate things more?   My body and its limitations remind me that while my mind still sees me in mid-life, I’m not.  Medicare questionnaires at my doctor’s office ask me if I have grab bars and scatter rugs and if I can manage my finances.  I laugh and mock at the insanity of such questions, but yet I’m of the age when these questions do matter for some.  I can laugh all I want, but at the end of the day, I’m not as young as I imagine I am.  My 9 year old grandson recently asked me why, when I’m almost 72, is my hair not grey.  I explained that it’s because my hairdresser dyes my greys.  His eyes grew big like saucers, incredulous at the idea, and for a moment it occurred to me that maybe I was, indeed, old enough now to be grey after all.  I let that notion pass and will continue to let that piece of me stay young.

I came across a quote this morning – “Every old person knows what it’s like to be young, but no young person knows what it’s like to be old.”    My mother says something similar all the time, in different words but the same idea. 

When we’re young, we see life come and we see it go.  Throughout life we see people struggle with hardships, suffer with disease; we celebrate those who overcome disease and mourn those who lose the battle.  Still, we lull ourselves into ignoring the fact that life has an expiration date.  It’s once we are closer to that expiration that we begin to come to terms with the fact that our time is not unlimited.  It’s then that we truly learn to savor, to pause, to pray and to hope.  We savor the people, the moments, the memories we’re making.  We pause to take in each one.  We pray thanksgiving and we hope for more – more days, more time, more opportunities to spend time with the people we love.  We don’t want to miss one second.  Life passes like a speeding train, like a comet in the sky….bright one minute, gone the next.  The difference with life is that we have a small bit of control over how we experience it, how we spend it, how much we savor it. 

A ride to Grafton this week got me thinking, time there always does.  The dappled light in the forest reminded me that life is full of light and also moments of darkness.  Each on their own are black or white, but together the light and the shadows make a beautiful image that feels warm and inviting.  The shadows remind me that life is not all about the happy times, there are always times of darkness and difficulties.  The sunlight through the trees is a reminder that fortunately in most instances, there is light at the end of a difficult tunnel, even when we can’t see it yet.  The hardships help us appreciate the victories just a little more.  Life is like the forest and the dappled sun – a mix of joy and sorrow, highs and lows.  Thinking of the series of milestones of these couple weeks, I am reminded how frail yet how powerful the gift of life is.   Some get just a brief taste of life and others are blessed with many decades.  I’m blessed to have witnessed both and that has taught me to appreciate every day that God gives me and to cherish the people He’s surrounded me with.  If you’re still reading, thank you! I know this is long and has used up too much of your precious time.  But....I hope this rambling inspires you to be awake to the blessings in your life and never forget to check the expiration date!

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An Adventure for the Senses at Sunnycrest Markets in Sharon Springs NY

 If you're familiar with my blog, you know that one of my early objectives in writing a blog was to share local businesses I'm passionate about.  When I decide to share a business, it's always from the heart, never a solicited review.  That is precisely what I'm sharing today - a business (not exactly local) that I recently visited (twice in a week) that I'm so excited to talk about.  That business is Sunnycrest Markets in Sharon Springs, NY. 

Sunnycrest Markets is an authentic Amish marketplace featuring around ten vendors and artisans, all mostly under one roof in a family friendly atmosphere.  I became aware of this treasure on social media and couldn't wait to check it out.  Let me just tell you, we visited on Saturday, May 16th and went back again on Thursday, May 21st.  It's that good!  

Under the roof of Sunnycrest Farm is Sunnycrest Kitchen.  John and I had a late lunch last Saturday and anyone who enjoys the deliciousness of home cooking that isn't your own home cooking will savor the offerings in this Amish kitchen.  You won't find gourmet on the menu, but what you will find is a simple yet delicious collection of offerings to please every member of your family.  John ordered a burger with peppers, onions and cheese with fries, not realizing it was a double burger.

It was delicious and tasted like real beef, not fast food mystery meat.  I ordered a simple BLT with creamy pasta salad.  Both were delicious, loaded with flavor, generous portions, and sadly I could only eat 1/2 of this big masterpiece.  Our meals came to $24.00 total, served up by the sweetest Amish girl.  All the wait staff were Amish girls/women, of course dressed in their traditional dresses, aprons and white bonnets.  

Just around the corner from the dining room is Daily Inspiration Gift Shop, a lovely shop filled with inspirational gifts, decor, books, children's toys and games, puzzles, cookbooks, and so much more.

Baked & Brewed is a wonderful shop that serves smoothies, hot pretzels (huge), specialty brews, and soft ice cream, just to name a few of their offerings.  On our second visit we enjoyed hot pretzels and a delicious iced latte.  We actually went back our second time for the pretzels.

Sonrise Bulk Foods carries a large selection of bulk items, some farm fresh and organic and includes things like bulk candy, nuts, spices, treats and household essentials.  So many good things at a crazy good price.  

Sonrise Deli offers sliced cold cuts and subs, salads and typical deli merchandise. 

Sonrise Produce carries the most beautiful produce, fruit cups and veggies.

You'll also find White Birch Meats, Sonrise Bakery, and Dutch Country Connections filled with Amish-made furniture.  Sonrise Bakery features all sorts of baked goods, including delicious whoopie pies, traditional chocolate and oatmeal.  My hubby will vouch for both!  

Perhaps my favorite vendor at the market is Sunnycrest Greenhouse!  Every year I say I'm going to buy less plants and I can tell you that Sunnycrest Greenhouse is responsible for me breaking that promise and for that - I will not apologize.  Not only is the greenhouse filled to the brim with gorgeous, healthy plants - both garden and houseplants - but their prices are so reasonable and considerably cheaper than other garden centers.  Locally, hanging mixed baskets are going for over $40 at best.  Their hanging baskets were in the $21-30 range.   Patio planters with a mixture of plants began at $25.  Customers can also choose their own plants and the employees at the greenhouse will plant your pots for you!  Again, all the workers are lovely Amish women, all so friendly and polite.  There's a lovely garden center filled with everything you need for your garden - pots, decor, fertilizer and such.  It's a gardener's paradise.

  

Located at 7869 NY Route 10 in Sharon Springs, Sunnycrest Markets is a scenic drive out Route 20, just about an hour from Clifton Park or Albany. While you're in town, stop and visit Beekman 1802 flagship shop (which you'll pass on your way to the market). Sunnycrest Markets is open Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00, Saturday 8:00-4:00 and Closed on Sunday. The restaurant is open Monday - Friday, 6:00-4:00 and Saturday 6:00-3:00. For current information and hours, please refer to their website:

https://sunnycrestmarkets.com/    

Note:  They will be open for normal business hours on Monday - Memorial Day.    

Follow them on social media - 

https://www.facebook.com/Sunnycrestmarkets 

Instagram: @sunnycrestmarkets

Also stay tuned for upcoming events: Strawberryfest on June 27, Cornfest on August 15th, Fallfest on September 16 and a Christmas event on December 19.  Don't wait for the events, head to Sharon Springs soon ......for a delicious meal, tasty snack, and beautiful additions for your garden.  I pinky promise - you won't be disappointed.  

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Life - It Happens Overnight

 It happens overnight......or it seems to anyway.  One day it's winter, snow-covered and frigid, then one day we wake up to a brown, non-descript landscape with temperatures that are neither cold nor warm.  Everything in sight just 'is'.  The world is at limbo, unsure whether it's safe to move forward or if it might be stalled.  Then, as if overnight, one day we open our eyes and the world has come alive.  The brown landscape has transitioned to a fresh green.  Buds on trees are beginning to swell, the birds are singing their Spring serenade as they begin their courting dance. The temperature is suddenly alluring, encouraging us to leave our winter retreat.  Just like that, almost overnight, spring has arrived on our doorstep, and we can thank God that we have survived another winter.

Life is a lot like the arrival of spring.  Do you remember being in elementary school, looking forward into your future thinking, 'I can't wait to be done with school, to graduate and be an adult'.  It seemed impossible to fathom, like an eternity ahead.  How could we survive all those years of school???  Then one day, we are standing on our graduation stage and stepping into adulthood.  We made it!

I remember the days of pacing the floor with a colicky, fussy baby, asking God for patience and wondering how I'd survive this phase.  We navigate the terrible two's and the hormonal teens and send them off to college.....now wondering how we'll survive without them.  These phases, though years apart, pass in a blink, sometimes feeling like overnight.  Somewhere in those years, we might even wish we could go back to the simpler times of colic and tantrums, because at least then we knew where our kids were and what they were doing.  One day we're praying that God will bless us with babies and the next those babies leave the nest.  Even when we're paying attention and seeming to savor the moments, the milestones..... the years pass so quickly.

One day we're young and energetic, able to stay up late and still get to work on time.  Chores are easy, our energy only out measured by our self-confidence.  We're strong and determined, independent and sure we know it all.  We don't need anyone, we're 40 and fabulous.  We've got life in the palm of our hand, and we have all the time in the world at our disposal.  We can do as we please, without a worry or care.  Life is good.  We might not think we need God but even if we still do, we may not call upon him as often.

And then it happens - overnight really.  We wake up and we're not 40 anymore.  We are 70 and not so strong, not so self-reliant perhaps.  We've figured out that we don't know it all and quite a while ago we learned the value of asking for advice and learning from others.  Those chores that were once easy are a little more tiring now and going to bed early doesn't seem like a surrender, it feels good.  Sleep is necessary, but it can be elusive at times.  Instead of walking the floor with a colicky baby, we're sitting in a recliner, in the dark, contemplating life's great mysteries, including why sleep at this age isn't just a simple matter of fact like it used to be.  Those kids that challenged us in the early years, tested us in their teen years and kept us awake with worry in the college years are now adults with kids of their own.  They once depended on us for everything, but now they stand alone, unsupported and wise, strong and determined.  They've got it all in the palm of their hands.  That job - raising our kids - is done.  Our other job - the career we invested in so much, gave so much of ourselves to, that too is finished.  The retirement that seemed lifetimes away is right here, right now.  We have finished reading pretty much all of life's chapters.  That book that looked so thick, so daunting that we thought we'd never finish it, is nearing the last chapter.  We made it.   But there were times along the journey that we weren't sure we'd make it.  There were times we couldn't distinguish the beginning from the end.  We couldn't tell if it was spring or fall.....but what did it matter.  We felt powerless to stop the hands of time or start over.

Like Spring's arrival, life passes quickly .  We wake up one morning and realize we've finished most of the chapters.  Even though we read with focus, didn't skip pages, and thought we were savoring every page, we find ourselves entering a new season.  We can't go back and re-read, we can't live any of life's stages over again; we can't undo our mistakes or pay closer attention to the times we took for granted.  We can implore God to grant us more seasons, though that decision has probably already been made. Now we just have to be grateful for the seasons we've had, even when we look back and ask where that time went. 

Our kids may be with us for 18 years, but anyone who has had children will tell you it was the fastest 18 years imaginable.  People who have been married 50 years pray they can have more time with their spouse.  Generally, we all wake up surprised about where we are in life and wonder how we got here.  Mostly we want this season to go on and on, to love more, to learn more, to do more, to savor more.  Mostly we aren't waking up asking God to take back some of our allotted time here. We're begging Him to grant us more time. 

The seasons change, on that we can depend.  Life's chapters change from one to the next, and even the hardest of life's challenges usually pass. Regardless of how hopeless things feel, chances are we'll wake up to a brighter day.  Just remember your last illness, even a flu or stomach bug.  In the depths of it, we feel desperate.  We pray to recover and feel normal.  And one day, we do....almost overnight.  Almost nothing in life is in our complete control.  Surely the passing of time is not.  Anyone who has faced a diagnosis that threatened to shorten their days understands this.  Whether this season of your life seems to be moving in slow motion or like a speeding train, one day you'll wake up and find yourself past it.  Alice Walker is quoted as saying, "Time moves slowly but passes quickly".  She's right!  My hope is that we can remember how quickly time passes and take time each day to savor - the weather, the sky, the smell of the earth, the people in our lives, and whatever challenge you are facing at this very moment.  And when this moment has passed, I hope you can thank God for bringing you through it and ask Him to give you the ability to learn from it and a heart to savor each moment and every tomorrow.  Today, Easter Sunday, Jesus gave his life so we could have ours.  Don't waste that gift!  Happy Easter.

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A Backyard Visit from The Northern Flicker

 I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on earth.  Then I ask myself the same question.  - Harun Yahya

I love birds. I love feeding them in our yard year round and my husband would probably say that doing so is a labor intensive and fairly costly hobby. But....he loves it too. Most of the birds that frequent our feeders are the usual, common backyard birds but every now and then we hit the lottery and one of our favorite, but less common visitors, chooses to hang around. Recently that lottery involved the majestic Flicker. His presence was rather brief, lasting only a week or two, but I savored every moment and captured plenty of photos. I thought I'd share them in a blog along with some interesting facts I learned.

• About the size of a robin, Flickers can be found throughout North America and even in some of the Caribbean Islands.  
• Males and females look similar with only a few differences. The only obvious difference is the male has a ‘mustache’ or whisker on either side of its beak. In the east this is black, while in the west it is red. Females do not have this facial marking.
• They eat more ants than any bird in North America. Some people call Northern Flickers the “anteaters of the sky.” Their slightly curved bill helps them hunt for ants on the ground and on the sides of trees.   
• Once a mated pair finds a suitable tree, they get to work pecking away at the soft wood. The pair doesn’t build a nest inside the cavity with twigs or grass like many songbirds. Only woodchips from their construction process line the bottom of the hole. Northern Flickers don’t build the typical ‘nest.’ The mated pair excavates out the inside of a rotting tree, building a hole with a single entrance. The tunnel goes down between 6 -18 inches and opens into a chamber where the female will lay her eggs. 
• Parents work together to incubate the nest and raise chicks.  Northern Flickers are dedicated parents. Both the male and female excavate the nest cavity, incubate the eggs, and bring back food for the chicks. They even have a schedule! Scientists discovered that female flickers incubate the eggs during the day, while males defend the nest. At night, the roles reverse.
• They are one of the only woodpeckers in North America that isn’t black and white.  Northern Flickers are considered the ‘black sheep’ of the woodpecker family because they have brown feathers and forage for food on the ground. Their plumage helps them blend into foliage and the dusky brown colors of the forest floor. Most other woodpeckers in North America have black and white stripped plumage, helping them to blend in with tree bark.  
• Northern Flickers’ tongue wraps around its skull like a football helmet.
• It’s easy to see where they’ve been!  Northern Flickers leave evidence of their search for food wherever they go. The dime-sized holes they leave behind in trees, branches, and even wooden siding are in straight lines and hard to miss.
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Are they not just gorgeous! Thank you to Bird Feeder Hub for all the information included in this post.  Photos are mine, but the great facts included are courtesy of them!

   https://birdfeederhub.com/facts-about-northern-flickers/

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We Can Either Go Kicking and Screaming or We Can Enjoy the Ride - Surviving Winter

 To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold. - Aristotle

He may have been born in 384 BC, but Aristotle's wisdom still rings true today, even in the simplest, most obvious statement.  Perhaps I might share a little everyday wisdom of my own, simple enough yet not always so obvious, especially for those who have not paused to make their own such discovery.

I was born and raised in the Northeast and can honestly say I love all four seasons here in Upstate NY.  I recognize that I'm able to love every season partly because I can escape summer's sweltering heat in the comfort of air conditioning, and retirement allows me to stay inside my warm house when the outdoors is so frigid it feels like your face will fall off.  Some might say that that's cheating and I'm not sure they're wrong. 

Winter can be a long and even depressing stretch of time for many.  Clouds seem to prevail most days and last winter wasn't the most beautiful I've seen, mostly lacking snow to brighten the muddy, bland landscape.  For someone like me, always searching for pretty images to capture, it was a long and at times difficult season.  I vowed that this winter I would focus on the joys of winter - both outside my window and indoors where being housebound provides extra time for long-overdue projects.  Hopefully, I'll get through in better spirits than last winter.

Well, December was exactly the sort of winter I long for - cold and snowy, a photo waiting to be captured everywhere I looked.  A few road trips to our favorite destinations resulted in hundreds of photos that I'd be able to share over the next several weeks as well as a lesson we could all benefit from.  Some of these photos were different from any I've ever taken - mostly because I hadn't been at the right place at the right time and ultimately because they could only be captured if I left my cozy, warm house.  Some days that simple task is more daunting than others but like so many winter enthusiasts know - there are rewards for braving the cold.  My parents and grandparents were hardy ice fishermen braving the cold on the frozen Saratoga Lake, Lake George and long before that, Lake Champlain.  My parents also snow shoed and snowmobiled.  As Elsa in Frozen, they would probably say, "the cold didn't bother me anyway".  I can't say I share their enthusiasm for winter sports, but from the cozy warmth of my heated passenger seat, the beauty of winter is mine for the asking and the rewards for that small effort were more than worth the effort.  

Winter can be long.  It can be brutal for those who have to navigate outside the confines of their warm homes.  It can be dreary and depressing; that is for darn sure. Ask anyone who struggles with the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder.  But....if we try, there is something positive to be gotten from opening our eyes and minds to what these cold months have to offer.

So whether you get in your car once the roads clear and soak up the snow covered landscape, or just enjoy the local feathered lunch crowd....winter has something beautiful to offer if we just make an effort to notice.  These men seemed to be enjoying an afternoon of ice fishing on Mill Pond at Grafton Lakes State Park.  

And my grandparents....probably in the 1960's on Lake Champlain....

And that was me....way back in 1969 when I pretended to love winter to impress a cute boy with a snowmobile. Luckily I don't have to pretend I love the cold these days. Now I'll just admire winter and all it has to offer from inside where I can capture its beauty without shivering. I hope this edition of Life As I See It inspires you to take a moment to appreciate the season we're in because like everything in life, this won't last. It also won't end any sooner than usual, so unless you're a snowbird and can escape to warmer parts, you may as well just find a way to enjoy it.  Make a memory or capture a photo that will .... these two memorable moments... my dad, perhaps discovering skiing wasn't his forte and below my grandmother and me, seeming not be all that fazed by the depth of the snow surrounding us - back when weathermen didn't catastrophize over a 1"-3" snowfall.

Wishing this bluebird brings you abundant happiness this winter and beyond!

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