Old Dog, New Tricks

It's really cool to get to do new things at 'My Age', which if truth be told, is slipping past middle, even if I intend to live to 100. Things that there really is no excuse that I have waited til now to do.

Last week I got to have two new adventures. I went cross country skiing. The fact that I live in the heart of the snowbelt and have never once in my life, done that - is almost downright strange. It may have had something to do with my mistrust of skiis. The one and only time that I had them on, I broke my leg. That was 35 years ago. Since I never did grow any more athletic or graceful over the years, it just seemed the wise choice to stay away from trying to balance on two narrow, slippery pieces of wood. Actually, when I even think 'ski', I can feel the break I had & draw the exact spot on my leg that snapped. It would take considerably longer to heal at 'My Age'.

But I got passed all that, took a chance and did it. And I LOVED it. Granted, I fell within the first six feet & it was like trying to hoist a big ol' bag of grain up and set it upright. I didn't break my leg though and enjoyed it immensely. Enough that I wish that I had started it earlier in the season. Almost enough to wish that winter would last a few more weeks so I could get out again. But if that gets out, I'll be run out of town as everyone here is pretty well tired of cold and snow, right about now.

The other thing that I did that was great fun - and that I can NOT believe that I have never done before, was to go to a cottage on the lake in the winter. We're fortunate to live within an hour of Lake Huron & never once have I ventured up that way to even see what the lake looks like in winter. It was heaven - quiet, peaceful, beautiful. Four of us from our creative group stayed at our friend, Kathy's family cottage. We had to take our things down a hill on toboggans, carry water from the community tap and keep the woodstove going for heat. It was an adventure- there wasn't another soul around. We cozied up around the fire and spent the entire time talking and needle felting - from morning to the next morning. It was like a spa for the soul.

Everyone else is whining about winter, going on trips down South but this old dog found some pleasure and fun in some new winter tricks. And I broke no legs.