Thoughts on Winter...

 

Inhabitants of Northwest Pennsylvania tend to think of winter as a normal part of it all.  We rarely shut down anything for snow- although ice is at times a bit of an issue. Only on rare occasions would we allow either to interfere with our plans. We move about our lives thankful that we do not have to deal with hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes or pineapple cyclones, but, I confess, we do snort laugh when TV weather people report 6 inches of the white stuff as paralyzing. We sympathize but ... that is a just past a mere dusting here. Actually we have a lot of different words to describe snow - probably because there is usually so much so often. We know it well. We make jokes about it and plod on.

When talking about snow, it is, in fairness, important to consider point of view. The headquarters for the National Weather Service is in Silver Springs, Maryland. The average snowfall there is about a foot spread out over an entire winter season. The headquarters for The Weather Channel is in Atlanta, Georgia. They had snow there on January 23, 1940. Both the NWS and the WC tend to foam and twitch at the mere thought of a couple of inches of snow and try to get people all wound up about it. Seriously what do they know about snow? They probably close schools in either of those places if there is one single snow flake in the air that melts before it hits the ground.  We laugh at them too … as they know basically nothing about "real" snow.  Talk to people in places like Buffalo, NY if you want to lean about real snow. Must mention at this point that my small town at times has the highest annual snowfall in the Commonwealth of PA – one year it was 115” above the national average.  Many years there is much more snow than that. Erie, Pa (about 35 miles away) had five feet in 36 hours a couple of years ago, and we still out snowed them that year. That was the year when Erie ran out of places to put the snow and people found themselves still digging out in April.  Seriously… (Well – that might be a slight exaggeration….)

Anyway -- we in Northwest Pennsylvania understand that not everyone is as used to dealing with snow as we are and – they don’t do it as well – lack of practice and proper equipment. We forget that there are people who do not know that studded snow tires or chains, long underwear, or boots with cleats even exist. I suppose we take a bit of pride in our knowledge of the ways of snow country and in the digging out of the "big coats" and trudging on. We always feel sorry for people who get dumped on who are not set up for it. Then again -- sometimes we make fun of people -- especially of snow birds… even though we know they do better in milder climes and are basically happy for them. (It’s okay to be wimpy. I get sick of mittens and boots too. By the way -- snow birds are people who escape the snow belt and head south for the warmth of sunshine ... aka wimps. I love them anyway.) My simple truth is that I hate hot weather.  I can always get warmer, but cannot always find a way to get cooler. Plus – I detest light weight clothes.  I am at my best when I layer and… I love thick socks. I have a lot of them. I pad around in them on a daily basis. I sometimes sleep in them on cold nights.  I buy boots in a bigger size so that my feet will slip in no matter how thick my socks are.  It’s that simple really. I am a cold weather person. That is one reason why I live here on purpose.  That and I like the people here -- also winter people for the most part, and the rest have most admirable gumption.

Even though it has been feebly snowing for a few days now as I write this, winter doesn’t really seem to have settled in yet. It is past due. We have had a couple of good storms with a few feet of snow each, but nothing is lasting very long.  It is like a broken promise really.  Winter is taking its time – sort of galumphing in and tripping along the way. We haven’t even had more than a few hours of  the blinding, yet beautiful winter whiteness of light reflecting off the snow. My Grandson has only been snowboarding maybe a dozen times, and it’s already the 2^nd week of January.  We feel cheated somehow in a rather twisted way and ... we keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. We live off the Great lakes -- in the Snow Belt.  We are ready and waiting.

The days are already getting longer.  It stays daylight now until around 5 PM and is inching toward later. Kids are now waiting for early morning school buses only about 15 - 30 minutes before the sun is actually up. My Granddaughter is just now beginning to walk to school in daylight. Soon we will be anticipating those aching yellow-greens of spring. Now those are greens -- so vivid that they hurt your eyes.  They shimmer.  Not sure if you have to live here to know what I mean, or perhaps we just appreciate it more after months of white, gray, black and the muddy brown of in betweens.  Perhaps it takes a while for our eyes to adjust to color. We sometimes go days without it. We take photographs and they look like they were taken in black and white mode ... but were not. Dreary always begins with a capital D here.

Ah, snow country in Northwest Pennsylvania.  Did I tell you that it is also cold and windy here?  We are on a first name basis with the wild chill factor if that tells you anything, and we sometimes have the kind of winds that make windows rattle in a most impressive way. I wish I owned stock in ChapStick. NWPA Winter...  It's not for the faint of heart. Bring it on. Let the fun begin.

Let's call a spade a spade....

 

Words are powerful and knowing how to use them is a good thing. Obviously....  Personally, I love working with words and carefully select the ones I use because I want them to carry a certain feeling along with meaning.  Sometimes I make up words .. but when I do, I try to couch them within a certain context so that you will know what I mean. What I do not do is take it upon myself to assign new meanings to words that already exist and then expect you to know what I mean. I am not a word thug. I figure that my interest in the power of language is why I found the list of "offensive and harmful words to avoid" published by the Stanford University IT Department so “interesting”….  

Apparently this list generated so much controversy and offense that, in a seemingly desperate attempt to curb some of the backlash, Stanford University almost immediately did a major “walk back” of their IT Department's  list of naughty words --   I take it that the University does not like to look stupid. Reports indicate that there was particularly critical reaction to the inclusion of the word "American" as harmful or offensive. Personally, I also had my concerns about their listing of the word "grandfather", among many others, as well as of the phrase "no can do" - a phrase which I have found to be handy in some situations. Anyway  -- it was impressive backtracking of the highest order. 

Needless to say, I wanted to take a closer look at what was causing all the kerfuffle, so I went online. One thing I found was that after the initial wave of mocking criticism,  Stanford University  “locked”  said list behind a password. But... apparently that was like “shutting the barn door after the cows got out”.  I easily located the list, printed all thirteen pages on my best white paper, and set about reading with yellow magic marker in hand.  I was on a mission.  I immediately discovered that the Stanford University IT Department takes itself very seriously. I suspect also that it doesn't have much of a sense of humor. Sad, really. Case in point -- the list even has the following printed on the first page (in impressive bold type screaming out to potential readers):  Content Warning: “This website contains language that is offensive or harmful. Please engage with this website at your own risk.”   hmmm...  I decided to risk it. Sparing you many of the details, this is what I determined:

Apparently the Stanford University IT Department is “into” replacing common words and simple phrases with several awkward and complicated ones. And quite frankly, it appears to be partial to taking offense easily.  Further, it definitely has an issue with words that are related to balls and to colors.  Important to note that I do understand that some words carry baggage, but there is a point of taking things to a ridiculous level.  I have used several of its “naughty” words in these paragraphs. I even used a few that I figure it would have included if the people working on this had thought of them. Can you find them? No offense intended. 

If I may offer a polite and gentle suggestion to those members of the Stanford University IT Department....  Not to totally demean your "multi-phase", "multi-year" effort, just concerned .... Take a walk, breathe in some fresh air, relax a bit, smile once in a while, tell jokes, laugh, eat some chocolate, and perhaps most of all – see if you can find some common sense.  It might even be helpful to consider the fine olde adage that “… silence is golden”  or  “Look before you leap”.  Words are important, but sometimes it is better to say nothing. (I wonder who paid for this "multi-phase", "multi-year" project?) BTW -- the origin of the phrase used as a title for this post is ancient Greece. The word spade refers to a garden tool. So, like I said... relax.

I am seeing signs that the world is getting sick of “woke” in their tendency to humorlessly beat a dead horse with their constant drivel... always looking for a righteous cause. (Not surprising to me  -- I did not see the word "woke" on the naughty list. To me that is a word that has earned its way into the offensive or harmful rank...very naughty.  I would put it in the categories of condescending, controlling, elitist, racist, narrow minded, intolerant, and anti free speech.)  I think it is time for common folk, who like to think of themselves as normal people, to circle the wagons, refuse to submit, and to take a stand against stupidity. Just sayin’. Anyone with me on this?

(Note:  The words listed in Labels below this post all appear on the naughty word list of the Stanford University IT Department -- just in case you were curious about that.)

Little Red Wagon

 

Don’t know how about you, but I like the week between Christmas and New Year.   For me, over the years, it has become more than a marking time week of post-holiday leftovers and decorations beginning to wear out their welcome. It has become a week of quiet of the good sort.  Where I live, it is most often a time of cold and snow and that makes the world an even quieter, cleaner, and fresher place. It's comfortable. It is also restorative somehow – at least it is if you manage to miss the weather extremes.  It also makes you very thankful for a warm home and simple accoutrements like gloves and thick socks.

When I was a child (many, many moons ago), I had a little red wagon. I wore it out over time.  I would sit half in the wagon on one knee and hang the other leg outside to use as a brake or a pusher. It was a time of scabby knees and pony tails. I could scoot along or drag my one foot as needed to pretty much control the speed. I could also use it to gather treasures along the way. You know, things like the perfect stick or proper skipping stones. My old Keds took a beating. The nice thing about those wagons is that you could steer them with the handle bent toward you as you rode along. You were the driver… in charge.  It was nice. Even riding over the bumps was sort of fun. 

Past the little red wagon stage now, but I like to think that I am still in the driver’s seat of my life and the week between Christmas and the New Year is, perhaps, the time to ride along nicely and hope that your Keds are up to the challenge.  May we all have one week to just enjoy the peace as we ease into the next year. Maybe we can even find perfect small treasures along the way -- you know -- for future adventures.  

In 2023 we are able to begin again ... a fresh start …. Happy New Year….  May your wagon miss the big bumps….

Three sleeps 'til Christmas...

 

Okay -- It's that time.  I am tearing up watching tv commercials. Traditional holiday songs bring me to the brink of tears, and commercials with "the music" push me over the edge. I am, once again, avoiding the Hallmark Channel out of necessity.  It must be almost Christmas. 

People who have been around for a while may agree that any holiday season is bittersweet.  Each holiday offers a lifetime of memories – memories of good times, of hopes and dreams and also, as time passes, of loss.  Perhaps that is why the joy of a child is always something to cherish -- especially now in the week before Christmas.  There is something amazing about being able to manage even a momentary glimpse of the world through a child’s eyes – moments of pure joy, innocence and wonder. Wish there were a way to hang on to that ... and yet ... perhaps there is.  Perhaps it is through creating the best holiday one can for those close to you -- whether they are near or far away -- moments to enjoy the comfort of security of family and friends, and of the peace of unconditional love. Perhaps it is in the creation of memories they will cherish when they, too, have been around for a while. 

Wishing you a wonderful holiday with lots of good memories of old times and ... with the creation of lots of new good memories as well.  

                                        

                       

Starting off on the right foot...

 

As I attempt to work on this blog today, parts of my brain are competing.  It is a tossup as to whether the Christmas music that is stuck in my head on replay or my ideas for the blog will win out.  I am hoping that the “sleigh bells in the snow” will become a soft background music. Fingers crossed. I am trying.

Okay – so here it is. Thanks to an unasked for and unappreciated latest update, my trusty old android is now able to give me a weekly report on how I am spending my phone time.  This week I spent 38 minutes texting, 16.7 minutes looking around on Amazon and over an hour on Facebook.  This, of course, does not count all the time that I spent on my HP PC or the iPad. This iPad is a device with which I am still not on friendly terms.  Someday, perhaps, someone will find said iPad on the bottom of what I call my horse pond and wonder how it got there.  The pond will know, of course, but seems to be very good at keeping secrets. It has shared literally nothing with me over the years.

Anyway – all this got me to thinking about how I spend my electronic time as well as wondering why my android is tracking my behavior.  I did not ask it to. It bothers me a bit -- but I will think about that later. For now -- this report called to mind something I saw on Facebook this week.  It was a word jumble provided by “Love quotes for you”.  (Isn’t that a gentle and lovely name?) Apparently the first four words that jump out to you from line after line of letters with no spaces in between will be your Mantra for 2023. I was game.

I liked the first four words that I saw, so I went ahead and picked four more. I stopped there, but wondered how many more I could find if I really tried, but my time was limited.  Anyway – here they are - in no special order:

                  POWER  LESSON  PURPOSE  CONNECTION

                   CREATION  STRENGTH  CHANGE  FAMILY  

Then, because I am a sentence person,  I went about putting them all into sentences – one of which I could use for my mantra for 2023.  I came up with a few actually.  I will spare you the details. They were all very wordy and heavy on strong nouns.  Even so -- I must mention that I like positive games for sure.  I am hanging on to the positive as we get closer and closer the beginning of 2023. I like new beginnings as well.  Things positive and new beginnings form a strong combination -- hopeful and somehow comforting.  It is a combo that helps one to put the best foot forward when starting a New Year. Trying counts... at least that has been my experience.

A Very Merry Corry Christmas

 

The days before Christmas in the small town I call home have always been, for me, a special time. This season is no different. Picture this – it is the first Friday of December.  Amazingly -- it is above freezing here in NW PA as the sun sets, and ... it is not snowing for the first time in a couple of days.  ... so begins a fun evening in downtown Corry. It is the First Friday celebration.

Every lamp post on the Center Street is decorated with a wreath and lights, and this main thoroughfare is closed to traffic for a few blocks. There are horse and tractor drawn wagon rides – free to all.  Music is in the air everywhere. All the shop owners have removed every trace of snow from the sidewalks. It is safe walking (so nice for those of us who no longer think it is fun to slide on ice). Smiling people are milling about. Lots of Merry Christmases are to be heard. Small children are especially excited. It is hard to describe their smiles. Beyond wonderful! Heart touching.  Santa is here… as are Rudolph, the Grinch, and some darling elves.  Excitement is high. The shops are full. (Busy shops and photo ops.)  Food is available in every direction.  The local Rotary Club is offering hot chocolate to all passersby. The local champion dance team is performing in the decorated gazebo in the City Park. A crowd has gathered to watch. There are carolers moving about.  It is a "happening. It is a lovely evening all around. It is a Very Merry Corry Christmas.

What did I miss?  It was a gentle and festive start to the holiday season. Thank you, wonderful people of Corry. Again I must say … I love small town America. 

Merry Christmas! It will be here and gone before we turn around twice.  Enjoy!

At the end of the day...

   

Here we are in the Post Thanksgiving, Pre Christmas season and in addition to feeling thankful for innumerable blessings and anticipating the joys of the upcoming Christmas season, I find myself at times caught up in the ugly dramas of the world. The challenge is always to figure out a way to step up and out of those things and to keep oneself from falling back into the muck.  I am going to try to do this by finding examples of good "things" and by ignoring the "headlines" for a bit. I still devoutly believe in the existence of good.  And so -- I begin...

Recently I heard of a family who took part of their post Thanksgiving feast time to discuss how they were going to give to others during the upcoming holiday season.  As has become their family tradition - in lieu of exchanging gifts with other adults in the family -  they would again pool their money and determine together where a donation would be most needed -- locally. I am deeply touched by that kind, quiet generosity. 

Personally my major concern is hunger. I cannot stand the thought of people going hungry.  I think I got that from my parents. I remember my Mom feeding "hobos" at our kitchen table. This happened quite a lot actually. We were on the "Hobo Route", I guess. My Mom used to say that our house was marked somehow so they knew where they would be welcome.  (Many a calm afternoon of my childhood was spent looking for said mark. Never found it.) Anyway -- I particularly remember one man devouring an entire box of cereal -- while he was crying.  Memories like that stick with a person. My Dad would give them clothes, shoes, and/or perhaps a warm coat,  and then drive them on their way – a least a few miles or so in whatever direction they wanted to go.  I would often ride along in the back seat. (I was a tag-along whenever I could manage to do that.) There were other times -- also when I was in grade school -- that my Dad would have me ride along with him with a small pile of envelopes on the seat between us.  He would stop in front of a house, I would jump out, knock on the door, and hand an envelope to an adult without telling them who I was.  It was sort of scary and people cried sometimes.  I think I got “it” even then. He didn't say very much while we were driving about - except for one thing. He always said that helping others does not count if you make it about yourself.  You help people because you want to help people, not to get your picture in the paper. Yep.  Not sure he would be pleased that I am telling you about it now ... even though he is only with us in memory.

We don't call people hobos anymore.  Perhaps they have been replaced with "homeless" - although the situations are not quite the same.  We no longer open our doors to strangers.  That would be foolish. We no longer pick up hitchhikers. That would be downright dangerous. I am actually a bit surprised if a stranger even holds a door open for me.  Times change. it's not always for the better. My concern is in finding a way to make this not so true. Little kindnesses spread. Each one matters. We all decide.

Maybe it all boils down to this... “At the end of the day, as you close your eyes, be content with what you’ve done, grateful for what you have and proud of who you are."  I have seen several variations of this sentiment and have no idea of the original source.  Wish I did. Words are sometimes a gift.  I would like to say Thank You.  'Tis the season.