A Dogsled Ride

I spent last weekend up north at the Shanty Creek Resort and Schuss Mountain with some good friends from school. The weather was perfect: lots of snow but very little wind, not too cold, and a beautiful blue sky. We enjoyed the winter weather by tubing, cross country skiing (some went downhill skiing - I just watched), and going on a night-time sleigh ride. We also enjoyed good food and fellowship.

But the highlight, for me, was seeing the sled dogs. I knew from the website that they had dog sled rides available on the weekends. But they were advertised for kids. I LOVE dogs! And I love sled dogs. I went on three excursions during my trip to Alaska that dealt with sled dogs. But I've never gone for a dogsled ride in the snow. So, I called the reservation line on Saturday to see if there were any openings and if they'd allow an adult to sign up. The rides were all booked. Oh well.

At the end of our cross-country skiing trail, we saw the sled dog team racing by. We skied over (well, by then I had taken my skis off); they were just about finished with the rides for the day, so we watched the last two kids go for a ride. I told the lady I was a second grade teacher and explained how my class learns about sled dogs and the Iditarod race each year and .....

They gave me a short dog sled ride for free and then let me stand on the sled (pushing down on the brake because the dogs were ready to run!) so we could get pictures to show my class. It was so exciting to ride - hearing the screech of the sled runners and the breathing of the dogs, feeling the wind and listening to the "haw" turn signal given by the musher, seeing those beautiful dogs do what they love. It was an awesome highlight to a great weekend getaway!

Now, maybe I should learn how to drive the dogsled.

Valentine's Day

I hate Valentine’s Day. I guess hate is too strong a word, but it’s definitely not my favorite holiday. Being single, it seems as if this is a day to rub in the fact that some of us are alone. All the cards and flowers and advertisements just remind me that I don’t have “that special someone” and I’m envious of all who do.

I didn’t always dislike Valentine’s Day. I remember the excitement of school parties as a child and choosing just the right valentine with the perfect message to give to each classmate. In junior high we girls each designed a heart, which we wore pinned to our shirt on Valentine’s Day. The boys all tried to get us to talk, so they could take our heart. Whoever had the most hearts at the end of the day received a prize.

This Valentine’s Day, however, I wasn’t thinking about myself. My dad was admitted to the hospital the night before because of breathing difficulties, so my mind was on him. The doctors weren’t initially sure if his problem was pneumonia or heart problems (he has congestive heart failure), but after a number of tests they determined it was the heart, so they’ve started him on a new type of medication which hopefully will help his heart rate and his breathing.

I went up to the hospital to visit him after church (on Valentine’s Day). My mom was there too, and at one point she suggested they take a short walk down the hall. As I watched them walk through the door together, my dad in his hospital clothes and walking a bit unsteady because of his condition and my mom dressed in her nice “church” clothes, I thought of their love and commitment to each other. They’ve been married almost 50 years (this coming December) and been through a lot with my dad’s health. They rely on each other and support each other. They love each other - for better or for worse, in difficult times as well as the good times. They are a wonderful example of true commitment and love to me, as well as to my sister and brother.

I’m no longer going to think of Valentine’s Day as a day reminding me of what I’m missing. Instead, I’m going to remember Valentine’s Day as a day to celebrate my parents’ love and commitment to each other. And the picture in my head is of the two of them, holding hands as they walk out the door of my dad’s hospital room for a walk down the hall. It’s a beautiful picture.

I love you Mom and Dad.

Moscow Circus

I took my mom and dad to the circus a few nights ago. We had fun. But this was not just any ordinary circus. We went to the Moscow Circus. Yes - Moscow. As in Russia. One of my second graders thought we had traveled to Russia and back overnight until I explained that the Moscow Circus is on a tour through the United States and we only had to go to Byron Center.

The circus was very similar to Cirque Du Soleil, but with a smaller cast (about 20). Most performers were dressed in some type of Russian costume and a trio of folk musicians played Russian music throughout the show. The opening number showed photographs of scenery from Moscow including a number of buildings my mom and I had toured on our trip there, so that was fun for us to see.

The performers were all very accomplished and amazed us with their skills. One woman twirled up to 10 hula hoops at one time - all in different places (ankles, one leg raised in the air, each arm, her neck, etc.), and she juggled the hula hoops as well. There was also a trio of jugglers who incorporated acrobatics in step with their juggling. At one point the girl stood on one of the guys’ shoulders while the three continued their juggling back and forth. Other acts included a woman contortionist (ouch!), a couple with an incredible trapeze act, and a hand balancer. There was also a performance by two men called Voltij Acrobatics. I can't find out what the term means, but it involves tremendous physical power and acrobatic precision. One guy stood up high on the other’s hands and then was tossed in the air, landing on the guy’s hands again. The only animal in the circus was a little dog who jumped and hopped all around his trainer - hard to explain but pretty cool. A couple of clowns entertained in between the acrobatic acts.

Since my mom and I never made it to the Moscow Circus when we were actually in Moscow, I’m glad we made it to their Michigan performance. It was a great evening!

Here's their promo video. A few of the acts have changed since the video was made, but the aerial straps, hand balancer, contortionist, team jugglers, and dog act, as well as the clowns are all the same.

Today

Three sugary birthday treats on a Friday makes a teacher especially thankful when 3:30 finally arrives.

Choices

When I was little, my dad subscribed to Time magazine. I used to look through it and wonder why anyone would read it. There were so many words, so close together with tiny print, and the articles all sounded extremely boring. The only interesting part to my twelve-year brain was the “Milestones” section, which listed which movie stars had gotten married, divorced, or had died. I much preferred reading my fiction chapter books.

Last summer, in order to keep my (not-so) frequent flyer miles account, I was encouraged by the airline to subscribe to a magazine (using up some of my miles, but keeping my account active). I saw Time magazine listed as one of the magazine choices and, being a responsible adult, decided to subscribe to it. I thought it would look like I really knew what’s going on in the world if Time magazine was sitting on my coffee table.

Imagine my surprise when I glanced through my first copy of Time magazine and one of the articles actually caught my attention. I sat down and started reading. And I enjoyed it! “I really must be a grown up,” was my first thought. I kept the magazine on the nightstand beside my bed and read a little bit before falling to sleep each night. It was wonderful. I read every single article and finished the entire issue by the following Friday, which is when I received the next issue. That’s when the problem began.

Do you know how often a weekly magazine is delivered? Every single week. Just when you’ve (hopefully) finished the previous issue. Which is great if you don’t plan to read anything else. I’ve spent the entire first semester this year trying to “get ahead” with my Time magazine so I can finish it before the next one comes. I need to read a little every night to finish before the next one arrives. Once you’re behind, good luck catching up again. (And I have to read every article or it doesn’t count.)

The problem is, although I feel more knowledgeable about the world, I don’t have time to read any books. And I love reading books. I don’t love reading Time magazine. I read it because it comes in the mail; it’s an obligation.

So my dilemma is, do I continue reading Time? Or do I give it up and go back to reading real books. Here’s a picture of my two choices. Which pile would you pick?

(Here’s my decision: I’m on page 252 of Jodi Piccoult’s book.) And very happy!