All of the local kids are out of school for the Christmas holidays. What a great time that always was! The long anticipated two weeks to enjoy and relish Christmas and New Years. My children were able to enjoy trips during their breaks at Christmas to some rather exotic places. During the good old days, this was unheard of. I cannot remember anyone going skiing during the years while growing up. To begin with, the travel was not as easy. There were mostly two lane roads and certainly not a hotel on every corner. The idea of a resort was not around. We actually took a few summer vacations, including a trip or two to a "Dude Ranch" in Texas. It was not easy to get where you were going and long trips were pretty much out. The day of ability to fly to any distant corner with the ease of planning from your computer were long off. We had to be satisfied with the simple pleasures and I have one distinct memory of just such a "trip".
The Girl Scouts camped for a few days-maybe even a week one Christmas vacation. What made this even neater was the fact that we had snow! We were camped in a bottom and across the way in the same bottom was the local Boy Scout troop. IT WAS COLD! I remember having layers of clothes on and sleeping in the same clothes that we wore all day. It was muddy, since the snow was melting and almost impossible to get into your sleeping bag without getting mud inside it. We had a rotating job assignment chart including KP duty. When it was your turn to "do the dishes", you boiled water in a galvanized pail first. The heavy and hot pail had to be moved from the fire to the dish washing table. I have a very distinct memory of, if I remember right, Adrian and Ann's mother spilling the hot water on her leg while doing this chore. She had to go to the doctor, but recovered without incident. The week was a great week and lots of fun, but the part I remember most, was this incident.
I have gotten over any need to camp in my older years. My idea of camping is the Holiday Inn. I love the outdoors, but have no desire to sleep on the ground. I can enjoy all of the virtues of nature without having to suffer a sore back.
I am in high gear trying to finish getting ready for Christmas. I am almost through with my shopping, have started making my weekend menus and grocery lists, and have one more BIG grocery shopping trip to make.
Our dear friends, The Thompsons, are coming for the night tomorrow. We both are so looking forward to picking up where we left off last. GOOD TIMES!
Babs & I walked 5 miles this AM. At this point in training a 5 mile walk is not even a blip on the screen.
2 comments:
whats a bottom?
The land between two hills that is flat and low is called "the bottom". Sometimes they are swampy here in LA, but this one was not. Had a beautiful stream flowing through it. Was really pretty, especially in the snow.
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