A good friend of mine took this picture early one morning just as the sun was coming up. The frozen frost on the foliage was her aim but when she transferred her card to the PC she noticed the fog coming up from the ground. There are so many beautiful things to look at in this world of ours.

We don’t often get 6-inches of snow so I delighted myself watching the birds at the feeders. I have between 25 - 30 Cardinals who come routinely with other local varieties. They are a sight to behold! Keeping the feeders full and water available and feeding all the cats interrupted my bird watching now and then.

Yesterday was “girls day” and highways were clear once again. I first went to visit the friend who had the hip replacement and then to the home of the other “member” to make cards. It was like a progressive dinner…..where you go to one house for salad, the next for the main meal and then the dessert. I mention the “what” because some folks won’t know what a progressive dinner is. Those things are not popular anymore for organizations who have trouble getting the members to even come to the meetings, let alone to a dinner.

When I stop to think how life has changed it seems like a different world. I grew up in such a different environment. From the slim days of the Great Depression, to the war years and then the economy booming into a generation of heretofore unknown technology we were mesmerized with the advances and opportunities. No one seemed to notice when family life as it had always been, was changing.

Kids (when I was a kid) played outside. Anything worth doing was outside. We played after school until suppertime……and then back out until dark. The bigger kids could stay out a little longer but dark always brought me in. Playing tag until you couldn’t get your breath, riding your bike until your legs were all wobbly, hop-scotch, jump rope, sledding, making snowmen…..,,action was the common element.

We walked everywhere. I know young folks don’t like hearing us old-timers talk about the hardships “back then” but every generation has some good experience to pass on. For one thing, we were skinny. Fast-forward to today and it’s hard to find a kid who is average size. We ate at home, we all ate together at the kitchen table. We listened to Dad talk about his day (a blue collar worker) and he kept us entertained…..he was a great story teller.

The front porch had a swing. I spent a lot of time swinging on it. People talked from one porch to the other…….privacy not being an issue….they were glad to give a wave and a howdy to one another. Life as I knew it is gone forever. I have advanced in some ways but a lot of me still wishes for the simplicity of those days.

Though we have all changed in a changing world there is a lot of good to be found if we look for it. Yesterday made us who we are today….today is making us ready for tomorrow…..and tomorrow beckons with a journey yet to be traveled……….

Essentially Esther