(Thanks for all those nice words last week. I was so very touched and comforted too, by all of you on similar or relatable journeys. Oh, time!)
We're only halfway through the winter season (less?), but I think it's safe to declare this particular winter as our winter of the Best Skating Ever. We've always had some kind of an ice rink in the backyard - some years better than others. But the conditions fell into perfect place this year to make it pretty epic. There was a lot of late fall water, which filled the little duck pond right up. And then lots of cold weather. It's also helped that all of our helpers are big and equally dedicated to awesome skating, therefore more than happy to go out and shovel when it's necessary, or scrape the ice when the time calls for that.
I matched their enthusiasm and effort with my own touches. A few strands of lights, benches moved to that spot for easily putting on skates, and a fire pit, which oh gosh, just really ups the goodness of ice skating! Some critter or another made a home in my ice skates last year and I had to toss them, but the kids finally talked me into replacing them with new skates. So I'm equally on the rink with them (sometimes upright, often not), and also sneaking in moments of knitting by the fire.
Ani and Harper don't even bother going inside when we get home from school, instead heading right out for ice skating until dinner. But my favorite moments have been the spontaneous ones later in the evening when EVERYONE finds their way out there. Cal and his sweetheart, all the kids and Steve too, Ezra usually playing DJ with a speaker. All of us together, by the light and under the stars in the crisp winter nighttime air. It's quick little blip in time, those moments. But it's perfect.
