December 4

 In the last blog, I mentioned that I skied Eb's Trails north of Duck Lake.  I am happy to report that I made a second trip to the trails last Saturday and I plan to go again tomorrow.  My plan for the last trip was to only ski for two hours.  So...I made my way on the assumed route until I noticed the only skier who had preceded me turned around because the trail was not groomed.  But the King of Kelvington decided to forge ahead breaking trail in the 20 cm deep snow.  My thinking was:  I will be back on the main, groomed trail in 10 minutes.  Wrong!  I broke trail for two hours before I picked up a groomed trail.  I definitely burnt calories slogging through the snow.  I can't say I was disappointed.  There was a gentle snowfall and I was surrounded by forest.  I was in my glory!  Silence.  Beauty.  And for good measure, I had the good fortune of seeing a marten.  The marten was only 10 meters away from me.  I am sure I wouln't have seen the beast if I had been on the well traveled, groomed trails.  My two hour ski turned into a four hour ski.  I was a little gassed, but totally content.  To add to the special day.  I drove home enjoying a glorious sunset and just as I entered my neighborhood, I witnessed a full moon against a ski that transitioned from dark blue on the horizon to violet around the moon.  

During the last week, I had the privilege of babysitting the Luv Bug three days.  Same routine...snuggle on the couch, breakfast, tobaggan ride to the park, eat snow, return home, eat lunch, nap time time for granddaughter and grandfather, snack, and watch Frozen over and over again.  

Yesterday, we received good news.   Mary's husband, Morgan, accepted a job offer in the power engineering field.  He had completed his course in May.  He had been promised a job with Husky Oil before he completed his training, but the tanking of the oil industry meant all bets were off. Fortunately, his patience paid off.

The girls are looking forward to the Christmas Break.  Covid has ratcheted up the tension for everyone on planet earth, but I am particularly aware of the stress endured by teachers.  Mask compliance, physical distancing, and hygiene protocols on top of the usual stresses of the teaching profession has certainly raised the tension in schools this year.

Over the last two weeks, two former colleagues and one dear friend died.  The loss definitely affected me, but in spite of challenges, disappointments, challenges, and deaths, I tried to remain resilient.  I choose joy and thankfulness.  Life is always messy...always a struggle.  That's just the way it is.  As long as we breathe, there is hope.