Friday, January 21, 2011

Waiting for Spring...

I love snow- there's no question there. I spent a lot of time skiing and snowboarding during childhood... my grandfather's Christmas present to me, every year, was a season's pass to Song Mountain. I'd go there with him and my mom and ski every weekend. As I grew older, Grandpa couldn't go with me anymore and Mom had married my [wonderful] step-father... she had sweet children who needed to be nursed. Not that I minded... it had started to Not Be Cool to hang out with your mom on the slopes. ;) When I started babysitting and lifeguarding, I started buying passes for myself - I was SO proud that I could pay my own way and buy myself new equipment! Mom even set up a checking account for me when I was 14, attached to my childhood savings account at the credit union, and taught me how to write checks and balance the account. <props to you, Mom>

I spent every waking moment I could at Toggenburg, making friends and snowboarding... (and maybe even making out with my boyfriend in the off-course forest trails. shhhh) I even worked there when I was poor and in college, living on my own, so I could not only have a free season's pass but be PAID to enjoy myself. w00t! Not that that would have stopped me... I brought my board everywhere, even while looking for a Christmas tree with my boyfriend's sister. Hey- there was a hill and I was already going up it, why not snowboard down? lol

(I'm on the left)

But as the years have gone by, my snowboard looks sadder and its edges have gotten duller... I REALLY MISS snowboarding. My awesome boarding pants are even more sad. I couldn't fit into those bad boys if I wore a corset. Ohhhhhhh, how I long for the days when I had to wear a belt to keep them up! lol. The past 7 years have brought me a husband, three children, a home and a rather unforgiving schedule... not much time for boarding. Every year, I say  "I'm GOING to go *this* year!" but I never do. When I tried to go with my mom (avid skiier, still) last year, we ended up getting a huge rainfall that melted my beautiful powder down to nothing... so warm, in fact, that not even the snow makers could keep it on the ground long enough to stay open. :( I was so bummed.

I still love the snow. Who wouldn't love coming home to a sight like this? You can almost feel the warmth emanating from within...


or this? So cozy and snow blanketed...

or taking our Bella-pup for a walk past these...



or bundling up a sweet little snow-berry of a girl who stubbornly insists on walking IN the snowbanks?

I love winter, I really do... but the grayness has a breaking point sometimes. Without snowboarding as a distraction, I get a little restless. I feel the need for some color- the kind of color that sprucing up home decor could not possibly provide... I desire colors and brightness that only Nature can fulfill.

As I was looking through my albums for flea-market treasures yesterday, I came across some photos/memories that even further intensified my near-lust for the lush greenery of a central New York spring/summer landscape. At the same time, I feel like maybe putting all of these pictures together will somehow satisfy my longing for Spring and warmth and light and a garden of lavish produce.

So here they are-











Not to be outdone, the farmers' market pics also somewhat fulfill that hunger of mine...



 Enjoying some hot cinnamon donuts, fresh from the fryer...






I miss you, Spring- and hope you don't keep me waiting too long this year...

No comments:

Post a Comment